I got an update for my computer. From Java.
I am so over Java. I’m beginning to not have bad feelings about Microsoft, that’s how so far over Java I am.
And Adobe. Oh my goodness.
Every time I turn around, there’s another update for Java or for Adobe. When are these people ever gonna get it right?
Sure, updates are needed from time to time on anything. But, when the update is an improvement to functionality, that’s one thing. But constant security updates? That’s crazy.
Don’t turn this into a Windows vs OS X vs Linux vs whatever debate. The problem I’m talking about isn’t the operating system. You see, these Java updates? They happen on all the systems. Adobe updates? All platforms need them. Oh, yeah, there are others, but these are the two I see the most on varying systems. And, more often than not, it seems, it’s a security update.
That makes me wonder: how secure are we?
Why do we need all these plugins anyway? Why couldn’t Microsoft or Apple go ahead and include that functionality in the operating system to begin with? Well, they do. Only, they aren’t compatible.
If you’re running Windows, Microsoft included support for WMV files: Windows Media Player. If you’re running OS X, Apple included support for MOV files: QuickTime. And, out of the box, they are incompatible. Sure, you can get plugins to play WMV files on OS X and plugins to play MOV files on Windows, but there we go with plugins again. It’s not core OS functionality.
Then, we all get caught up in things like Java or Adobe products. But Java, after all its original hype and promise turned out to be nothing more than a way for hackers to get into your computer. Well, maybe it’s more than that, but it’s certainly opened many computers up to nefarious individuals.
Flash is the same way. Though Flash didn’t originate with Adobe, Adobe bought out Macromedia and added Flash to its stable of unstable products. And Flash, while not as vulnerable to outsiders as Java, will beat your system’s resources to a pulp, eventually locking it up or causing you to reboot before it does.
Flash is the devil. As is Java. And we invited them into our homes and onto our computers.
Say what you will about Apple, their move to reject Flash on their mobile devices (iOS) was eventually followed by Android (latest two versions). That means that the vast majority of mobile devices won’t play Flash content. And, as older versions of Android (that do support Flash) are replaced by current versions, the percentage of Flash-enabled mobile devices gets smaller and smaller. And that’s a good thing.
Flash and Java are like Obamacare: they promise great things, but really can’t deliver on those promises. Or, when they do, the cost is too great.
Maybe I’m just getting old. Or even more old. I think I’ll go yell at the kids to get off my lawn. And for Java and Adobe to get off my computer.
It may take a while, but Oracle (having acquired Java) may finally make it safe. “May.”
There’s no hope for Adobe and never will be. Terrible programmers (software weenies who can’t count) and stupid corporate culture.
Ok, my dumb question – if Flash is allowed to wither & die, what would YouTube use as an alternative video display format?
Please tell me it wouldn’t be MOV or MP4. Every time I use those, they strike me as an even clunkier, more inelegant video solution than Flash.
Just my uninformed opinion. I’m less of a zealot on the topic than this comment would suggest.
Youtube would use HTML5.
No, Java, I do not want to install the Ask toolbar nor do I want to make Ask my default search engine. How many time do I have to tell you this? DO NOT WANT!!!
i’m as computer illiterate as it is possible to be in the here and now. i understood nothing after the first sentence. i assume that if i did, i would agree with it all. adobe updates usually make things worse, java just confuses me.
now, can anyone tell me what the hell is shockwave, why does it keep crashing chrome, can i get rid of it? if so, how?
i’m guessing that shockwave is part of flash which is adobe. or something like that.
jw, just call the tech support number that came with your computer and a nice phone bank operator in India will read a script to you in broken English with instructions that will do almost, but not entirely accomplish what you’re trying to do. For extra entertainment see if you can get him off-script and let hilarity ensue.
@7 blarg
that sounds as good as anything else.
actually, i did find a possible answer at howtogeek.com
I actually uninstalled Java on my computer. What the heck is it even good for anyway? I’ve only run across maybe one website that didn’t work because I didn’t have Java, and I’m pretty sure it was stupid.
Youtube would use HTML5
Saying “HTML5” is an over simplification. HTML5 isn’t a video format, it’s a markup language for making web pages. Unlike older versions of HTML and XHTML, HTML5 supports video with video tags right in the markup instead of relying on a plugin like Flash. So yeah, HTML5 eliminates the need for Flash, but it doesn’t actually answer the “what format” question.
Ok, my dumb question – if Flash is allowed to wither & die, what would YouTube use as an alternative video display format?
And it’s kind of a tricky question to answer. Technically, HTML5 supports three formats: MP4 (h264 video and AAC audio), OGG (Theora video and Vorbis audio), and WebM (VP8 video and Vorbis audio). But, even though most modern browsers are cool with HTML5, they’re not cool with all three formats… in fact, only Chrome does. Firefox and Opera support OGG and WebM, but not MP4. And IE and Safari only support MP4 and not OGG or WebM.
That being said, I don’t think you have to think about it too much. Sites like YouTube (while still supporting Flash) use both MP4 and WebM, and chances are if WebM continues to get support (Google’s pushing it big time) it’ll be become a W3C standard. Either way, the idea is that you’ll be able to view videos in a web browser window without the need for any extra software or plugins.
What blarg and mikeszekely said were both correct. While saying “HTML 5” is a simplistic answer, it’s accurate. The idea is, like Mike said, is for the browser to just handle it without having to load plugins. (Plugins are the devil.)
Harvey:
If you think about, you’re already using a non-Flash solution to teh yootoobs when you view one on you iPhone or iPad.
Oh. Right. Heh.
You got an Android phone? Or tablet? Like, maybe, a Kindle Fire? They don’t use Flash. So, teh gooble already has implemented non-Flash solutions … on much of the content; some just won’t play on non-Flash devices. But they’ll eventually handle those in some way.
Every time adobe want to update the Flash player, I keep hoping it will install a song by Queen.
every time Adobe updates Flash, an angel gets it’s period.
@11 – Bacon that!
What I hate is when websites state that I must update my have when I already have the most current version installed. WTH. I am a CompSci major and know how to do this yet I still get several sites that falsely claim my Java is out of date. The worst part is most of them are sites I need access to in order to do my freaking homework such as Pearson. Aaaahhhhh.
It doesn’t recognize when I am on a machine with the most current version of OS x nor the most current version of Linux (Fedora) yet it does work at school on older, out of date OSes. Java bad….
Well said, sir.