In recent weeks the industry has underwent a paradigm shift – it all started because this year most people have a touch screen in their pocket. Since then, there has been a barrage of sources claiming that HTML5 is the future of the internet. A non-partisan web format in the shape of an Open Source project – A project that will bring Rich Internet Applications to an open standard – eliminating all patented code on the internet. Finally, creating a standard of display and distribution for all things mobile and of course, most things web. Having a standard for making those little screens in your pocket more accessible to everyone would be a good thing. Making a free system for everyone, even better. Fans of HTML5 champion HTML5 as a public service that will unify developers and maintain the internet as a free place for new ideas. This however, is not the objective of Steve Jobs, a man who admits that his only interest is Apple Computers whilst fans of Apple champion his forward thinking in using HTML5.
Food for thought:
On March 14, 2007, WebKit developer Dave Hyatt forwarded an email from Apple’s Senior Patent Counsel, Helene Plotka Workman, which stated that Apple reserved all intellectual property rights relative to WHATWG’s Web Applications 1.0 Working Draft, dated March 24, 2005, Section 10.1, entitled “Graphics: The bitmap canvas” , but left the door open to licensing the patents should the specification be transferred to a standards body with a formal patent policy.
…The disclosure means that Apple is required to provide royalty-free licensing for the patent whenever the Canvas element becomes part of a future W3C recommendation created by the HTML working group. [Source]
This patent is used in HTML5 - Which only serves to aid a post made by Daring Fireball on February 26th 2010 which states:
… It’s just good business for Apple to control a best-of-breed web rendering engine. If Apple controls its own implementation, then no matter how popular the web gets as a platform, Apple will prosper so long as its implementation is superior. (Needless to say, Apple is quite confident in this regard.) [Source]
Through these actions, Apple attempting to put a standard on web design. Ultimately creating an economy not based on creativity in technology but solely on media publishing and distribution. A world where everyone is a Jobs and no one is a Woz.
All coded software is Open Source in nature.
Meanwhile, Adobe is a software company without a consistent face to represent them. Just evangelists dotted around the globe making it difficult to coordinate their efforts and only a popular Photo Editing Tool as its mascot. It is for these reasons that they have been marked as an enemy of Web Standards and in direct opposition to Interoperability.
In reality, Adobe is striving to make the web more accessible across Multiple screens and platforms.Proof can be found in their forthcoming mobile releases of Flash and Air. [See demo video here by James Middleton and Mark Doherty]
Adobe Flash is a proprietary software. However, because of its ability to create animated interfaces Flash is in direct opposition to the iPhone/iPad platform. Apple has created an industry standard for animated multi touch interactivity. The availability of Flash and Air on multiple mobile and web platforms is the same to Apple as releasing to all developers its iPhone platform source code to make whatever they want on their own terms. Adobe have created an animated interactive mobile platform that cannot be patented by Apple. Whatever was once true about Adobe’s inability to deliver to a device is no longer valid – Software moves on and has limitless capabilities.
HTML5 is not a Software it is a Markup language.
Contrary to popular opinion – HTML is a data format not a Programming language. You cannot build a software in HTML you can only display content with it. HTML5 will be the same as HTML4 except it will be able to distribute and display more types of services. Flash player is a Runtime Environment for the web which utilizes its own software language (Actionscript) plus all other web coding languages to display and distribute content. It is by definition more advanced and therefore actual technology that no one can control except for the developers that implement it. The standards for this platform exist in its ability to display content how you want and can be released through any URL. Flash in a lot of ways is actually open and free. All you need to do is buy the Building environment and compiler and know a bit about how to implement it effectively. The iPhone/iPad platform is maintained by Apple – you get the Software Development Kit for free. And can only build applications upon it. These apps can then only be approved by Apple. You make money by selling their own software back to them and making them profits on their own Platform. This software Platform is closed. The battle is not between Flash and HTML5 as everyone argues. It is actually between Flash Runtime and The iPhone Platform. More specifically, Apple’s control over media display vs. Adobe’s DIY solutions for displaying anything you want… that is, if you’re a brain like Woz.
Enter Larry Masinter. Actually, Larry’s been around for a long time – since the invention of the web. He is currently in the midst of a fire storm regarding his involvement with the W3C and the HTML5 Standards project. Standing accused of putting a monkey wrench into the advancement of HTML5 because he works for Adobe. I thought I would mention him because he has a lot of great things to say about the advancement of HTML5 and the misinformation that goes along in the process of developing these standards.
I hate to see decades of work on web architecture messed up in the short-term interest of grabbing control of the web platform for a few vendors to own. If you think that position doesn’t match what you imagine Adobe’s position is, well, I’m glad Adobe’s planning to support HTML5 in its products.
…I’m angry and depressed about the total ignorance/laziness of online “journalists” and the sheer credulity of their readers. For God’s sake, guys, do the most rudimentary due diligence before you start defaming people who’ve devoted their entire careers to the advancement of standards. Have enough respect for your profession to take the impact of your words seriously.
Quotes taken from Larry Masinter
Steve Jobs has called Adobe ‘Lazy’ in rumored attacks against the Flash Platform. The truth is – it is Apple who is ‘Lazy. All Flash Player source code is available to anyone who has partnered with Adobe’s Flash Platform. Also, Adobe provides Opensource programme’s like The ‘Open Source Media Framework’ – (OSMF)
This project is intended to facilitate the development and sharing of open standards and best practices for video player applications built on the Adobe Flash Platform. Media players today are a nexus of complexity for so many technologies, services, and providers that the project can best tackle these integration challenges through an open source approach. [Source]
This source is available for Download [Here].
