Adobe Flash 10.1 + AIR 2.0 on the XO

[Tiago Marques]

Hi Carlos,

On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 12:42 AM, Carlos Nazareno <object404 at gmail.com>wrote:

> I don't get it.
>
> 1) Flash is no more "evil" as Java was years ago when it was closed
> source and it was being taught at universities.
>
> There is now an open-source SDK (Flex SDK (there's 2 versions, the
> closed source and the open source one)) with which you can produce
> AVM2 SWFs, and you can give away your AS3 sourcecode all you want.
>
> In fact, if Firefox & Chrome did not exist and let's say the only web
> browsers that existed were closed-source ones like IE, Netscape,
> Opera, Safari, would you say that HTML + Javascript is an
> inappropriate tool for creating learning materials? Because that is
> exactly the same situation.
>
> Martin's previous arguments about the quality of educational content
> is not a problem with a platform like flash, it is a problem about the
> the content that is being deployed.
>
> 2) You have hundreds of Flash multimedia/game developers that
> outnumber Python game/multimedia developers. Why add an extra layer of
> hassle for them to create content for the XO?
>
> (I still am not able to get sound running on Gnash on the XO.)
>
> There are thousands of Java developers in the world today, and for all
> intents and purposes, AS3 has more or less the same syntax as Java.
> JRE is a resource hog compared to Flash,
>
>
I would find that hard to believe but haven't compared the two.


> Moreover, Flash has authoring tools which make it very easy to create
> integrated multimedia content (vector/raster graphics, sound,
> keyboard/mouse inputs, etc).


> There's a new flame war going on, HTML5  vs Flash and it's the new
> Macs vs PC, but you won't see Flash dying anytime soon. You want to
> know why? The web is ruled by designers and not developers. You don't
> have to be a "real programmer" to create interactive rich media
> content for Flash.
>

Flash is a resource hogger, no doubt about that - in Linux it is even more
so, unfortunately. It also crashes. A lot.

Who is saying that HTML5 won't get similar tools to facilitate development?
I certainly hope so, even if it takes a long time. Adobe will probably be
all over that. If they aren't someone will be.

Still, as I said in the previous e-mail, it probably is good for Flash to be
bundled with the XO 1.5, even if the OSS advocate inside me wants to see it
far away. I'd like to help with that, where I can.

As for open source, I suggest that you read Stallman's Free as in Freedom
book, if you haven't done so:

http://oreilly.com/openbook/freedom/

It will give you some insight into why this fundamentalist movement exists
and why it is a good thing. It certainly was an insightful read for me, even
when I already was an OSS user for more than 5 years.

Best regards,
Tiago



> 3) Honestly, I find the reasoning that everything has to be open
> source in order for it to be good for kids. I mean do you have to be a
> mechanic to be able to drive a car? Do you have to be an electrical
> engineer to watch Sesame Street on TV?
>
> Does a child really need to tinker with the source code of an
> educational game to be able to gain benefits from it? Moreover, I
> think that's asking too much given the fact that even high school
> students have problems grasping BASIC.
>
> I think this is a case of open source fundamentalism trumping educational
> goals.
>
> There are hundreds of multimedia authors out there who can create
> content for the XO, but IMHO sugarization & python + python only is a
> gateway that is hampering the availability of content for the XO.
>
> In a sense, this makes the XO an environment that is just about as
> locked-in as the iPhone.
>
> Why is allowing additional tools & a new pool of content creators bad for
> OLPC?
>
> -Naz
>
> >    http://lists.sugarlabs.org/archive/iaep/2009-January/003516.html
> >
> > (This isn't an official OLPC policy; I didn't talk with anyone at OLPC
> > before writing it.)
> >
> > - Chris.
> > --
> > Chris Ball   <cjb at laptop.org>
> > One Laptop Per Child
> >
>
> --
> carlos nazareno
> http://twitter.com/object404
> http://www.object404.com
> --
> interactive media specialist
> zen graffiti studios
> http://www.zengraffiti.com
> --
> "if you don't like the way the world is running,
> then change it instead of just complaining."
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>
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