The end is near – for Adobe’s much-maligned Flash, that is. If your site uses Flash redo it – even if the rumors aren’t true.

Adobe’s Flash, a browser plug-in used to view rich content, might just be on its way out of our internet experience (yes, you won’t get those messages saying you need to update it again!). With recent developments, it appears Adobe Flash is on its death bed. Sites using the plug-in need to be redone. And even if it doesn’t die out, we’ll tell you why moving from Flash is a good idea anyway.

A Flash Timeline

While tech comes and goes, Flash had a longer stay at the top but its demise is both imminent and fast. Just look at the facts:

• In 2005, YouTube was launched and was 100% Flash-based. That means that our #1 video-viewing site required us to install the Flash plug-in. And other sites, knowing most would have Flash, developed accordingly – allowing Flash to be the preferred rich content viewer. Despite the many frustrations users had with it.
• Apple’s iOS never supported Flash. And, in fact, Steve Jobs detested the plug-in so much he penned a letter in 2010 stating that it was the main cause of Mac crashes and had an abysmal security record in 2009.
• Android marketed as supporting Flash but in 2011 Adobe cut all mobile phone functionality.

Since 2010, Flash has become the thing we love to hate: from constant updates to bigger concerns.

Security Issues

On July 12, and 13, both Facebook and Mozilla took steps solidifying the downward spiral of an already doomed Adobe Flash. The outcry is due to recent Flash hacks that allow hackers to add malware to a computer and then take over that computer. Mozilla has disabled Flash in Firefox until it is less vulnerable, Facebook wasn’t so kind: requesting the publication of an “end of life date” for the plug-in.

What’s This Mean For Your Site?

While only 11% of sites require Adobe Flash at this point, that’s nearly 95,000 sites. Is yours one of them? If so, it’s time to redo your website using other formats. With big names like Facebook squawking, it’s probably not long until Flash is completely abandoned for other, safer, systems. Keep current and accessible to your visitors by staying up to date on the best alternatives to Flash, or watching here – we’ll keep you posted.