In an interview, CSS guru Eric Meyer looks at the future of HTML5 and CSS3 and also takes a look at how those technologies will impact the use of Flash on the web. He points out that "HTML5 itself and Flash are vastly different. They have different things that they're trying to do." I agree. But he also asserts that the combination of HTML, CSS and JavaScript can do anything that Flash can do. This is where he's clearly mistaken. Meyer has been a CSS luminary since the early days but he clearly doesn't understand what Flash & Flex are capable of. Reader Matthew Fabb, in a comment on the blog, provides a short list of things that Flash can do which can't be done with HTML/CSS/JS.

One of Meyer's objections to Flash is that it's a proprietary technology and that "companies don't want to be beholden to somebody else [e.g., Adobe]." However, companies have been relying on hardware/software technology from other companies ever since IBM built its first punched card machine. The use by companies of technology from other companies is a fundamental part of our system of capitalism.

Open standards are great but they have their drawbacks, notably the ponderous pace at which innovation occurs. Look how long it's taken—a decade—to reach the point where all the major browsers agree (mostly) on how to render HTML/CSS. Look how long it's taken—a decade—for HTML 5 to be released. By contrast, look at how far Flash has come during that time. The advances have been stunning!

And, looking forward, I think there's a bright future for Flash. As Adobe made clear at MAX 2009 they are making a big bet not just on Flash but on what they are calling the Flash Platform. Adobe is releasing new products for that platform including Flash Builder 4 (for Flex development) and Flash Catalyst while continuing to develop and enhance Flash Professional. Flash has a multi-year head start over everything else, including both HTML/CSS/JavaScript and Silverlight. The development environment for Flash/Flex is far superior to the environment(s) for JavaScript. And Adobe's commitment to the platform convince me that Flash will be an important web technology for years to come.