Steve Jobs has famously said that by excluding Adobe Flash he was providing "freedom from porn." Much to his chagrin, his push for HTML 5 might soon bring that to an end.
Apple's refusal to support Flash on it's mobile platform has drawn supporters and critics of all kinds. Steve Jobs has repeatedly lauded HTML 5 as the best alternative to the popular interactive web platform. There is little doubt that HTML 5 performs better and will eventually become widely adopted, but changing a Flash-intensive website to HTML 5 is not a simple or quick task. Because of this, popular video sites have been resisting the change. Some sites such as YouTube and Hulu chose to go with an iPhone app, rather than converting their site. However, there is one kind of popular video site for which creating an app isn't an option, porn.
While there are already several non-Flash sites serving such content, the major providers have been hesitant to rework their entire site just to accommodate devices like the iPhone and iPad. Now, at least one major producer has announced they will be moving away from Flash and converting to HTML 5. In an interview with Apple Insider, Ali Joone, the founder and director of Digital Playground had this to say:
"Mobile browsers run HTML 5 very well," Joone said. "Flash brings everything to a crawl and has an impact on battery life. With HTML 5, there is no reason to show our content in Flash."
Digital Playground continues to use Flash to target desktop users, but Joone noted that his company plans to make the shift there, too. "We are waiting for browsers to catch up. As soon as they are ready, we will move everything to HTML 5,” noting it was “just a matter of time” until Flash disappears. “It’s the next passing of the torch.”
Historically, pornography has actually been on the forefront of technology. It is credited with helping make VCR's and Internet access commonplace in homes around the world. While Steve Jobs has been hoping that his anti-Flash stance would be a catalyst for HTML 5 adoption, he likely never dreamed it would come to reality thanks to porn.
Will Apple's stance on Flash cause porn sites to flock to HTML 5? Will porn's adoption of HTML 5 cause other sites to follow? We'll be sure to follow this story closely. You know... for the articles.
