From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Sep 15 18:45:59 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AE7C416A40F for ; Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:45:59 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from cswiger@mac.com) Received: from smtpout.mac.com (smtpout.mac.com [17.250.248.178]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 559CA43D66 for ; Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:45:57 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from cswiger@mac.com) Received: from mac.com (smtpin01-en2 [10.13.10.146]) by smtpout.mac.com (Xserve/8.12.11/smtpout08/MantshX 4.0) with ESMTP id k8FIjvdY023248; Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:45:57 -0700 (PDT) Received: from [17.214.13.96] (a17-214-13-96.apple.com [17.214.13.96]) (authenticated bits=0) by mac.com (Xserve/smtpin01/MantshX 4.0) with ESMTP id k8FIjq8x016419; Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:45:56 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <20060915172932.GA844@home> References: <20060914222340.41828.qmail@web60119.mail.yahoo.com> <407F2CFB-1DED-4466-86E2-ACD171AD07CC@mac.com> <20060915143401.GA80615@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> <20060915172932.GA844@home> Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v752.2) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Message-Id: <6A88DCBD-ACA7-4530-B3A6-1E543216875C@mac.com> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit From: Chuck Swiger Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:45:51 -0700 To: George Allan X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.752.2) X-Brightmail-Tracker: AAAAAA== X-Brightmail-scanned: yes Cc: FreeBSD Questions Subject: Re: Firefox+Flash X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:45:59 -0000 On Sep 15, 2006, at 10:29 AM, George Allan wrote: >>> I can't think of a single site that I use that needs Flash; I don't >>> install it even on a Windows or MacOS X box. >> >> I don't normally use it either, but there are sites that do videos >> programs >> that are all in flash and others that use it for graphic >> demonstrations. >> So, it is a feature that is desired by many. It pains me to have >> to reboot to Microsloth to see something on those sites. > > You can visit www.linuxcbt.com (cue the Linux jokes) for an > illustrative > example. All the videos are in swf format, most likely generated > using > vnc2swf (available in ports, FWIW) or something similar. As a side > note, mplayer doesn't support the swf format either. That site seems to be selling instructional videos for $200 a pop. While I suppose some people would pay that much to watch something in Flash like how to configure sendmail, rather than read the docs that come with the sendmail source tarball (or buy the O'Reilly "Bat" book, or subscribe to comp.mail.sendmail and ask there), and they are welcome to make such a decision, it would not be the decision I would make myself. Responding to another point made in this thread: On Sep 15, 2006, at 9:47 AM, Robert Huff wrote: > I am running into an increasing number of web sites - including > those of mega-corporations - where the home page is 100% Flash, > leaving no way to get inside if you don't do .swf. The major problem with such an approach is that pure-Flash-based sites prevent critical aspects of browser functionality from working as designed-- things like bookmarks, the back button, and so forth. Once in a while, I send a polite message to indicating that a pure Flash site is a problem for those people who do not have Flash, and that if they decide to exclude potential customers (or partners, or investors, etc) as a result, well, doing so is their loss. -- -Chuck