Adobe releases runtime code to Linux developers (TIS)

Hey,

I know I'm quite late commenting on this one but here goes anyway.

Knowing Adobe this is definitely a binary-only release.

However, I would like to make two points:

1. Adobe is actually Open Source friendly
Before you send the flame response - yes, Adobe is mostly about closed source applications and
technologies. However, they have started to open up many of the technologies and protocols to
developers. They are doing this openly and without court orders or anything. They will not
open everything but I think that they way they operate is one of the most open ones within the
biggest software companies. Search for "Open Screen Adobe" or "Open Source Adobe" initiatives,
for example.

I know that Adobe isn't exactly to model for Open Source development - but that said, I do
think what they are doing they do genuinely. The new licenses for the source code or protocol
specifications do not have any strings attached... Oh, and now you are allowed to create a
Flash clone player using the Flash file specification as well.

2. Adobe's technology is not completely unique - but developer base is
When Adobe releases anything around Flash/PDF/other runtimes Open Source community (which I'm
part of too!) cries that all this is possible with all kinds of other technologies. But that
is NOT true. Adobe's technologies have the developer base (millions of Flash developers,
really), cross-platform support (Linux now as well, aye!), cross-browser support (!), and the
runtime is self-contained.

Ask ANY web development agency what are the other viable options for Rich Internet
Applications and they say that AJAX but that's too limited today. For the rest, it's fine as
soon as all the nice Firefox/Mozilla/Gecko technologies work in IE. Or as soon as Qt works in
a self-contained enviroment. Or any of these have a few million developers that can do web
design.

My apologies for a wall of text (maybe I should go to Slashdot :P ) - but I think what Adobe
is doing here is very good. Not perfect but very good. They would not need to do any of this
if you just look at the market share of Linux on the desktop (i.e. their designer community
would not get mad if they wouldn't support Linux - they've lived with it before).

Anyway, my 2 cents.

  // Jack