Adobe has announced that the popular Flash program will be put to rest at the end of 2020. The program was once heralded with video game and websites developers but began to wane as of late. In 2010, former Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, refused to further support Flash with iOS.
Jobs called out the program for being a security risk and for being unreliable. Since then, Flash’s popularity has dwindled.
The Demise of Flash
Can one company really take down a program that has been in use for decades? It seems so. As soon as Steve Jobs made the statement noted above, developers stopped using Flash. In fact, the program’s popularity all but came to a full stop. Browsers began to require a Flash plug-in for sites running the program to function properly, but even those are coming to an end.
More and more developers are using alternate programs like HTML 5. We might see the complete end of any Flash trace by 2020 as well. As with most programs that are no longer supported by a company, Adobe will not be providing any kind of support for Flash after that 2020 date.
'Open Web Options
Site developers want to choose programs that are secure. Security is, in fact, one of the main reasons why Steve Jobs did not support Flash in the past. Open web options that do provide increased security are what developers are seeking now and that makes sense. Rather than sink money into securing Flash (which would be an open-ended project), Adobe is choosing to shutter the doors completely.
What This Means
The conclusion here is really two-fold. First it means that if you are a developer and still use Flash, you might want to learn a new technology. Site owners aren’t going to want to see Flash in the future. Second, it means that if you do run Flash, you may want to find a developer that can migrate your current needs to a new program.
It also means, a third option, that Flash will no longer be as secure as it was (though that wasn’t overly secure in the first place). Any program that no longer has company support is an invitation to hackers. As we have learned from recent cyberattacks (like WannaCry), programs that no longer have the support of parent companies are dangerous.
The End of an Era
I kind of think that most developers have already moved away from Flash simply because it is dated. That said, Flash was still the most used program by developers over the past decade. IT was a staple, a steadfast program that stood the test of time rather well. Even though Flash is coming to an end, it will still be the stuff that development papers teaching fundamentals are made of. It will still stand as one of the most popular programs around - and a household name, even.
Regardless of its strong past, Flash is coming to an end. Wrap up Flash use by 2020, learn a new program, and make sure your sites are secure if you are using Flash. This dinosaur is about to become extinct.