Gnash version 9.0 summer project seeks donations

The Gnash free flash player development team is setting its sights on getting to version 9.0 by the end of the summer and is launching a project later this month to ensure that they meet their goal. The project, known as the “Gnash V9 Summer Bash” will engage student interns to hammer through a number of ActionScript3 (AS3) Class Libraries that are critical to v9 and v10 functionality. The success of the project will result in Gnash compatibility with a number of high-demand websites -- including educational, major media, and other popular sites.

The non-profit organization Open Media Now, which manages Gnash, is seeking donations in support of its summer v9 project. “We are halfway to our fundraising goal now and need to raise another $75,000 to make the project a success” says OM Now Executive Director Lauren Riggin. “This is a project that impacts how we, as a community, access and provide web content. So, naturally, we are hoping for a wide spectrum of support from individuals, organizations, and companies -- anyone wanting an alternative to proprietary flash. Five dollars or $50,000, it all says 'Go-for-it'! And that's what we love to hear.”

An FSF High Priority Project, Gnash prides itself on its cross-platform portability. And while it has been several years in the making, CTO Rob Savoye says he is glad his team put the extra time and effort into making Gnash so portable. “It is very satisfying to know that we can provide web-users with a stable internet experience regardless of CPU architecture or operating system. Portability equals accessibility, and so that is not an area where we were willing to compromise.” As far as the summer v9 project goes, Savoye says it is all about optimizing performance and, for free flash, that means v9 and v10 compatibility. “The leap to v9 is a definite undertaking because of all the AS3 Libraries. Once those are in place, there is really not that much difference between v9 and v10.”

Gnash's portability, and its promise as a replacement for proprietary flash, has won favor among free and open source visionaries including Red Hat co-founder Bob Young, Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth, and free software pioneer John Gilmore, all of whom have donated to the summer v9 project. They encourage others to “show their support for free flash and open media” by donating to the project as well. “As devices for accessing the internet continue to evolve, it is important to liberate the open source industry from its dependency on a sole-source proprietary vendor for Flash states Bob Young -- “A donation to Gnash now is an investment in the long term success of open source and open media.”

A full project description of the Gnash V9 Summer Bash, and information on how to contribute, can be found on the Open Media Now website www.openmedianow.org , or contact Lauren Riggin at lauren-at-openmedianow.org . You may also donate directly via PayPal on the Open Media Now website or by going to “Gnash Version 9 Summer Bash” at www.pledgie.com.

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