mccFeb 2

You don't use open source software because it's better (it usually isn't).

You don't use open source software because it's freer (it only sometimes is).

You don't use open source software because it's got better politics (it isn't always).

You use open source software because *it is the only option*. In the long run, if it isn't open source, it doesn't exist.

image source: keithstack.com

Show threadmccFeb 2
As someone who was a true devotee of FutureWave SmartSketch (which became FutureSplash Animator, which became Macromedia Shockwave Flash, which became Adobe Flash, which became Adobe Animator) my sorrow is incalculable. Every day I long for software I had in the 90s which I can't find anything as good as today.
Show threadE. C. Bigribs
@mcc Hilarious to recount the history of Flash while not mentioning that one awful company, the one that also owned Director and FreeHand and DreamWeaver and, I dunno, Swivel 3D or something.
Feb 2 at 8:33pmWeb
Show threadmccFeb 2
@eedly HECK! I'm kinda sick today and off my game. Also I thought Macromedia was good.
Show threadE. C. BigribsFeb 2

@mcc I came from the Director side of things, and Macromedia's decision to have two flagship animation apps with UIs and workflows that looked very similar but were largely incompatible (I'm forgetting details here; it's been decades) was super frustrating.

The place I worked composited animations in Director and exported them using Lingo scripts and proprietary tools, and recreating that workflow from scratch for Flash was kind of a nonstarter.

Show threadUsagiFeb 2
@mcc @eedly Back when Macromedia owned the Flash IP people actually wanted to use it but the player was crap, and they would not let people to make their own to have total control over the platform.

The result is it died.

Now you can write your own player but nobody cares anymore, we have WebGL. ​​
Show threadEryck Gu⸸⸸eЯaLFeb 8

@bunny @mcc @eedly

Yeah, I remember there was a GNU flash implementation but, it was generally only useful for older stuff. 🫤