[TAG] .SWF files (Flash)

[Mike Orr]

On 2/9/06, Benjamin A. Okopnik <ben at linuxgazette.net> wrote:
> On Thu, Feb 09, 2006 at 04:22:04PM -0800, Mike Orr wrote:
> > On 2/9/06, Kapil Hari Paranjape <kapil at imsc.res.in> wrote:
> > >
> > > As far as I know the latter is an open format,
> >
> > Is the format actually published?
>
> Given that GNU is developing a viewer based on the SWF specification, I
> have a sneaking suspicion that it is, yes.
>
> http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/
>
> > Do the free players work with all
> > Flash content?  Do we know that Macromedia won't add proprietary
> > extensions to discourage the use of other players and composers?
>
> And what if they did? Mike, that's a red herring and you know it -
> that's a "what-if" that you can play with many projects. The answer is
> that we'd use the currently-available versions - or switch to another
> format whenever it suits us. Where's the problem?

*We* can put files with only compatible features in LG and switch
formats whenever we want.  I'm talking about Flash in general.  If
Macromedia does add stuff to it, we (free software types) will be
playing catch-up all the time like we do with Samba and Word and used
to do with PDF and Postscript.  Better to just boycott the format. 
PDF is "open", for instance, but people can still make encrypted PDFs
or not include the fonts in the file, and then the non-Acrobat readers
are screwed.  I haven't seen those for a while so I don't know if
people are making more standards-oriented PDFs now or the problems
have been resolved in xpdf.

> > RealPlayer is annoyingly proprietary but I've long reconciled myself
> > to it.  At least the company is OS neutral.
>
> I find it fascinating that you're willing to make excuses for a
> proprietary product while bringing up all sorts of objections about an
> open format. Is that the sound of an ox being gored in the neighborhood
> of Seattle?

I don't understand the last sentence.  I did find myself shut out from
some sites that required RealMedia 10 or so because there wasn't a
Linux version of it.  That was a while ago and I don't remember the
sites.  I didn't know SWF was ever open.

--
Mike Orr <sluggoster at gmail.com>
(mso at oz.net address is semi-reliable)