With the release of Flash Player 8, Macromedia or rather Adobe, or…well…umm, we’ll call them MacroDobe has started down the slippery slope to destroy the almighty Flash.

Randy: Macromedia is killing me! Son of a bitc…

Gary: Woah there camperino! We’re trying to keep this fuc&ing blog safe for readers of all ages.

Randy: But you just said fuc…

Gary: Never mind what I said, what were you saying about Macromedia?

Randy: Have you see the new security feature in Flash Player 8?

Gary: Oh, yes I have. And let me say it sucks. Macromedia or rather the newly acquired Adobe company Macromedia are sons of bit$hes!

Randy: Hey why couldn’t I say that?

Gary: Because I said so. But please do go on with your ranting.

Randy: Well, Macromedia’s new ridiculous security feature now blocks any local Flash content being played from your hard drive or a CD/DVD from communicating with the internet. And not just the internet, but any HTML document or javascript call. Even if the request is to another local document on the same CD or hard drive. Think of all the Flash based CD-ROMs that have been produced over the last decade that are now broken because of this “security” decision MacroDobe has placed in the new Flash Player 8.

Gary:What really pisses me off is their new insane method of setting your preferences to override these default settings. Now your preferences can only be set by accessing an online control panel which then updates your local settings. Let me explain this, because I still can’t believe it. In order to change a simple setting, such as to approve certain types of content, you must be connected to the internet, go to Big Brother’s website and change the setting there. So, if you are reviewing a presentation without an Internet connection, say, on a freakin’ plane, then you are freakin’ screwed because the meeting is 45 minutes after you land and your only hope is to pretend you have an explosive case of diarrhea, and take your laptop in the can with you, and if they don’t have a wireless network there, then screw it, just skip the meeting AND GET DRUNK, BECAUSE-

Randy: Dude, you are pissed!

Gary: I am totally pissed. Because I could think of so many better ways this kind of security setting could be managed. Hummm…let’s see. Maybe they could just have a local window pop-up when you are trying to access this kind of content that says, “You are trying to view local content that can communicate with the internet. Whould you like to allow this? Yes or No?

Allow the user to check the appropriate checkbox, click OK and end of discussion.

Randy: Exactly. Why then hell make them go to MacroDobe’s web site to set this preference. and to add inult to injury, the interface MacroDobe provides is completely confusing. Rather than a simple yes or no choice, the preference window makes you the the entire pathway to the content in question, to add it to your “List of Accepted Content”. To help users MacroDobe does show the path to the last piece of content in a section below your “list of Accepted Content”, but they make users either retype the path, or at least cut and paste the address into the “list” area. I mean why not just have the freakin’ address appear in the list and let people click “OK”?

Gary: Mmmmm, oh I know, because there is no freakin’ “OK” button! Users are just supposed to type in the address and them close the web page. No confirmation, no “Accept” button, or “I’m Good With This” button. Just close the browser window. Very unsatisfying and confusing.

Randy: It’s as if they hired the Windows 95 programming team to contribuite all of their mistakes to build this one security preference setting system.

Gary: And unless you do this for every Flash presentation on your local hard drive and on every CD and DVD you have every received, those presentations will be unusable!

Randy: It is un-friggin-believable! This security is so short sighted and completely kicks so many Flash developers right in the balls. I am disgusted to think that this is going to be the kind or synergy we are going to experience from the newly combined Macromadia and Adobe.

Gary: Stripping away individual users rights in the name of security. Humm, sounds like another company I know.

Randy: Do you think MacroDobe is being run by Haliburton too?!!

Gary: Don’t even think that. Then MacroDobe would be doomed as well.

Randy: But besides projecting the ultimate demise of our counrty, I am truly saddened that MacroDobe has so little respect or concern for the developers who chose to use their products. That they would make such a poorly thought out decision that breaks so many Flash based applications that have been distributed over the past decade seems utterly unforgivable.

Gary: And how they screwed all the users of the Flash plugin by creating such a confusing and obtuse preference management system.

Both: To MacroDobe the Idiots say a collective “Thanks, for screwing us all over. Rot in H@ll!” You have taken one of the most popular internet technologies and turned it into the pariah of development applications with a single boneheaded decision.

Gary: Now I gotta’ go.

Randy: Explosive case of diarrhea?

Gary: And howdy!!

Randy: Then by all means go sh$t your brains out. I’m done ranting anyway.

And stop censoring my posts!

Gary: Sorry, can’t hear you…I’m flushing…

Randy: As$ clown…