FCHouse A blog about our lives, our passions, our photos

Adobe grants its script engine to Mozilla

In these days the market of the Web Browser seems to be more fizzy than ever. Everyone seems to be interested in the development of some sort of scripting engine to create a standard between the platform, claiming their own is the best. (of course)

On Wired News you can read the latest news: Adobe has planned to release one of its core component (ActionScript) in Open Source, with a partnership with Mozilla Foundation.

ActionScript, the code that powers interactive Flash applications, has long been based on a standard known as ECMAScript. ECMAScript is also the basis of JavaScript, the primary tool of Ajax developers.

It should be potentially interesting, but the main doubt I have is that everyone seems interested in leading the market with their own code. Obviously, if Microsoft’s, Apple’s or Mozilla’s code would become the standard, their products would raise to the top. Not only… Adobe move to open source is a sharp move, because if their ECMAScript would become a standard, their Flash Player would be the first beneficiary. So, opening some code to gain more users.

Microsoft and Apple could use the Adobe scripts too (it will be Open Source) but it would cost them quite a lot, because of the need to rewrite great part of their own scripts. Well, this battle is becoming interesting, even if I’m not so sure that we will be able to have a Standard that would speed up the development process or tear down the browser differences for the normal users.

Well, we’ll wait and see…


3 Comments

in the last couple of months, some companies have made the decision to move some of their stuff to opensource, so it seems the opensource revolution is gaining some battles :-P that is good,
but as you said, some “formats” are still in war, so let’s hope that will be the next round for the opensource.

Posted by frank on 13 November 2006 @ 6pm

by the way, nice theme :-)

Posted by frank on 13 November 2006 @ 6pm

Hola Frank!
Personally I see the shifting to the Open Source of some “Big” with a lot of skepticism.
Long foes of Open Source as putting some bread crumbs, but who will follow them? I believe that they are doing it to strengthen their lead position, but who will take profit by this?
Users?
If the users would be able to get their software for free the income of the “Big Ones” wouls fall.
Companies?
Maybe, maybe they would be facilitated in some ways, but I think that the advantages for the “Big Ones” would be too small.

No, personally I fear that this welcoming the Open Source is highly related to the need to “control” internet and its technology. Who will dictate the rules will gain the highest profit. No matter if the users will be able to gain something or not. But the risk of playing this game is very high, so if you are not sure to win, you don’t play.
I believe that the “Big of the Software” are lending a hand to the Open Source in order to understand if, with few giveaway, they would be able to win the race… but if they will understand that to win the race they would have to risk too much, simply they wouldn’t follow a “Standard“.
Maybe I’m just paranoid, or maybe I have read in the correct way. Unfortunately only the time will tell, but I fear that the Major Revolution will not come from colossus like IBM, Microsoft, or other, but we, who have few to lose, could offer a lot to the customers, to the Internet Users!

Cheers Mate!

Posted by Carlo on 13 November 2006 @ 9pm

Leave a Comment

Documentation and HowTo… Web 3.0 ?!?!?