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Scribd Switches To HTML5
drfreak writes "This story from OSNews describes Scribd, a site for uploading and reading documents, switching from Flash to HTML5. The major reason for the decision was that HTML5 supports all the major points of the site's previous functionality, so they saw no point in using Flash any more. The big improvement in the rollout is that documents are now first-class citizens of HTML and no longer need to sit in a Flash 'window.'"
Completely blank page (scribd) until I enabled flash. I can't stand sites that have the most basic shit (plain text, etc) in flash. How is that even necessary? Good move getting off that Flash addiction.
'Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.' - Mao Tse-tung
The HTML5 viewer on their site works great
Their own introduction:
http://www.scribd.com/documents/30964170/Scribd-in-HTML5
It was plain text and pdf files, what was wrong with regular html and pdf? I thought the flash crap was a scam to make you sign up for an account if you wanted to download the document instead of just view it youtube-style.
They have a great viewer as well.
What the hell does some random site changing browser tech have to do with the rest of the 97 percent of the computing world that doesn't give a damn about Apple and their products?
Just because we don't care about Apple, that doesn't mean that we want Flash; I'll celebrate the day I can finally uninstall that bloated swamp of security holes from all my PCs.
So, I'm using the latest chrome, and the latest firefox, and the latest safari... and if I disable flash and attempt to go to any of the "html5" documents... I get "You need to upgrade to the latest flash player to access this content".... If I leave flash enabled, I get the same old clunky flash document viewer... so uh what gives?
I clicked on one of the supposedly HTML5 books, but it's still in flash. I right click on it, and it says "About Adobe Flash Player" at the bottom of the context menu.
You do realize that Scribd HTML5 has nothing to do with video, right? The main features they were looking for are proper (better) layout and web fonts.
Thank you, this had absolutely made my day. Die Flash, die...
Scribd is more of a pain than a useful tool. It's basically an online PDF viewer, one which makes content non-downloadable. It takes away functionality; you can't select and cut text. So it's really more a form of DRM than anything else.
You can get most of the same effect by rendering your document to PDF with the page size set to "trade paperback".
Can we quit calling everything that uses HTML5 video "HTML5"?
I'd be happy to but... what the hell are you talking about"
Scribd is all documents, all the time. As in things you read?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
It's nice and all that they are seemingly committed to creating the greatest HTML5 development tools out there, but I just can't bring myself to trust that company.
They have notoriously defended their IP with some really dirty behavior and security through obscurity is never a good idea.
Adobe's idea of document security for the longest time was basically a text warning in the header that said, "Watch out are we will use our friends in the FBI to arrest you and hold you indefinitely".
They may have some pretty neat products, but that corporate culture just needs to die and go away. Please.
This is a story targeted at the hardcore Apple Hipster Douchebags
I wasn't aware Android users were "Apple Hipster Douchebags".
Because after all, this means all Android users will be able to use Scribd now. Not just the select few with the very latest devices WHEN Flash support arrives on Android.
After all, these are DOCUMENTS we are talking about. Why should they not be easily readable on any mobile device, not just those few that support Flash (which currently is none).
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
So far as I can tell this is mostly just html4.1 plus some web-fonts thrown in (which is properly css3), and a bunch of mostly browser-specific css. Not really html5. They mention canvas in their introduction, but I haven't come across an example.
Certainly looks better than the flash, but take a look at the source code and it'll make your eyes bleed. So much for semantic code - there are spans and divs up the wazoo.
Scribd isn't a video site, so I'm not sure why you keep talking about the HTML5 video tag. Yes, it's becoming increasingly more common for people to think HTML5 == <video>, but that's not what this summary is about. I do agree with you though.
You mean an open standard won out over a proprietary implementation?
Flash is about to be marginalized. It will happen quickly, in much the same way as the open HTML/DOM/Javascript beat out over 20 years of Microsoft "innovations" such as VB and .NOT. And in much the same way as Android is about the slaughter the iPhone.
See, open standards usually follow proprietary "trail blazers". Once the standard has been defined, copy-cats move in and do the same things, cheaper.
Apple originally won the desktop computer war, then lost it to the more open (and less expensive) Microsoft, which finally is losing it's lead to the even more open (and inexpensive) web/SOAP API. Apple got it right again with the iPhone, but is already losing it again with the highly proprietary iPhone now rapidly losing market share rapidly against the more open Linux/Google/Android platform. (Android's 4x marketshare growth in a single month - WTF!?!)
As a note, I have an HTC WinMo phone right now, but my next phone will almost assuredly be... Android!
I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
Heh. If you get to the end of the high quality introduction, you're presented with a link to the people that drew all of the images:
http://www.specialagentproductions.com/
Yeah, their site doesn't work unless you enable Flash. Pretty funny after the whole "get rid of proprietary formats" and "free your documents online" thing...
coding is life
That's right. This story which doesn't mention Apple, which benefits users of basically all modern browsers, which isn't bad for anyone except maybe Adobe---except that Adobe is also building HTML5 tools that they'll do just fine selling--is clearly just targeted to hardcore hipster apple d-bags.
I'm pretty sure that an equal number don't give a damn about Adobe and their products. As far as this site goes, trashing Flash, nothing of value was lost.
The CB App. What's your 20?
Then why almost all text in their HTML5 introductory comic was overflowing those baloons? Isn't it supposed to be WYSIWYG thing?
http://opencm3.net, http://www.nongnu.org/gm2/
Flash is like a zombie. Even though may be walking, it's already dead. It just doesn't know it. Yet.
This ain't rocket surgery.
Go to scribd.com, notice the Google Ad, click "try it now". Or, on most of their featured pages, you should be able to click "view with HTML" on the right side.
So, it's something they're trying out. It's not actually the default yet.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
You can select and copy text. I'm sure you can find a way to spider the pure HTML pages. Even if you can't, Scribd has always allowed you to download the original PDF.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
From TFA: "Every mobile phone, e-reader,computer, tablet, and pocket watch can display HTML....ok, maybe not the pocket watch!"
And maybe not the mobile phone either. WAP 1.0 phones are still about.
In post Patriot Act America, the library books scan you.
Out of curiosity, what browser? With Chrome on Linux, my CPU didn't spin up past 800 mhz.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Get the fuck off this site. Just do it.
Don't worry, by the time you are able to do that, they will have implemented twice as much security holes directly in the browser. it might be slightly less bloated (more likely : much more bloated) and some of the holes will be advertised as "features" but they will be there nonetheless.
I cannot search for text with the Firefox' find dialog. But they say, that their documents are now fully part of the HTML infrastructure, so they should be searchable, no? Try their self-introduction for HTML 5 and see, whether you can search for "Highlight me!", which is in the middle of the document.
Or I'm doing something wrong here?
Same here---sort of. Old desktop 2.4GHz P4 and scrolling causes 100% CPU usage in Firefox 3.6 which is supposed to have a decent Javascript implementation, but apparently not. I would test with Chrome, but the installer always fails on this machine with a completely useless error message. Don't know why.
________
Entranced by anime since late summer 2001 and loving it ^_^
Apple is forcing out flash and encouraging developers to use the HTML 5 and CSS3 for web content. Is this a win for HTML5. Adobe is not pleased with the banning of the Flash to iphone compiler, but that 's not doing to stop them from deveoping ad improving Flash. Since Flash can still do amazing effects that no amount of HTML 5 or Java script can come close to at that speed , Flash have still a huge market. Here are some pros and cons of HTML and Flash Flash Pros Flash players allow for uniformity to all browser. More effects than HTML5 and Javascript. Vector based for easy scaling. Flash Cons Search engines don't read Flash well. SWFs can be take and large while to download. External plugin has to be downloaded to view Flash. HTML5 Pros Very fast with CSS. Canvas and Video. Geolaction API. HTML5 Cons Not ully supported to all browsers. Limited effects and animation. Slower animation than Flash. Should I use Flash?
Why on Earth has this been moderated "troll"? I don't agree with everything in the post, but there's sure-as-hell no trolling here!
This is a story targeted at the hardcore Apple Hipster Douchebags
No, it's a story targeted at people with smartphones. A big market segment that can't use Flash.
Not everyone with a smartphone. The N900 supports flash.
Not to mention, a big market segment could care less about flash. I use flashblock in Firefox for a reason.
Good thing there's competition in the browser space then, innit?
Their HTML5 section isn't.
Weither or not the HTML5 reader is up and running on specific portions of the site is not relevant. It still has nothing to do with video.
As much as I admire the effort to make people think beyond video with HTML5, this was just a terrible time to bring that up.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
What if someone bumps my computer? It could fall out and the links would break.
If you mod me down the terrorists will have won
Same here---sort of. Old desktop 2.4GHz P4 and scrolling causes 100% CPU usage in Firefox 3.6 which is supposed to have a decent Javascript implementation, but apparently not. I would test with Chrome, but the installer always fails on this machine with a completely useless error message. Don't know why.
That's because it's not necessarily a JavaScript issue, it's a omg-that's-a-lot-of-bad-markup (HTML and CSS) issue. And FireFox is getting more and more bloated with every release. I suspect your browser does similar on giant Slashdot threads, too?
gratz scribd, you'll have no more impact on my life then you did before html5.
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
Yes, me too. Don't know what's going on with it.
2.8 GHz Dual Core Athlon here and the scrolling is slow and knocks both cores to 100%. It's fine in Chrome though
Its a poignant piece because of the ipad and Apples refusal to allow Flash. Its timely because it signals the death of Flash, and appropriate because HTML5 is really here, not vapor, and major sites are moving to HTML5.
I am not an Adobe hater by any means, I wish them well. I have no love of Flash, its always been too buggy and too bloated to match its usefulness. I am fairly certain you do not have to like Apple or be a fanboy to recognize this. You just have to be realistic. Flash has always been crap.
And since you love Flash everything you say will be crap too.
--Dilvish
I think you underestimate just how much I just dont care.
So from a clients perspective (mine in this case)the HTML5 experience is slow whereas the flash experience is reasonably quick.
And from the server point of view HTML5 is slower as well...
HTML5 - Served by app04 in 1.168 secs. cpu: 1.100
Flash - Served by app10 in 0.482 secs. cpu: 0.420
What's the point then?
You must be using some super-secret browser from the future that supports all of HTML5.
Well, if you are going there anyway to check it out, you might as well go to my documents:
http://www.scribd.com/sascoggin
If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
Works fine with NoScript if you allow both www.scribd.com and scribdassets.com. Without scripts only the first three pages are loaded and default fonts are used.
To read other documents in HTML5 one needs to enable it in his Scribd settings (http://www.scribd.com/account/edit).
Don't worry. 5 years from now, any major browser that has errors in dealing with elements of html5 will have those errors rolled into the standard according to the WHATWG design philosophy of "if you can't fix it, call it a feature".
You have to wonder how many browser writers will have the resources to be able to implement the incredibly complicated specifications of HTML 5. That may kill off the competition.
Well that site just got a lot better. One down, millions more to go...including my own which may never switch over after all the pain spent building the flashes; why would a small company with limited resources and very little iphone/ipad traffic spend the money to change?
I think therefore I can't be ~TTNH
I found 4 of my PDFs there ( 3 presentations, one ebook) and the people who uploaded them were making money off it and so was Scribd (ads).
That's what section 512 takedown notices are for. Or did you send one and then get a counter-notice?
For linux/bsd/etc users, the switch from Flash to HTML5 is going to be pretty bad news. With Flash, sites generally work even if they are not specifically tested with different browsers and FOSS platforms. With HTML5, every browser will be different, and the same browser between say Windows and Ubuntu, may have subtle differences in how they render. Sites like scribd will probably test with Windows and OS X and leave everyone else to hope it works for them.
Something tells me this is one of the main reasons Microsoft and Apple are so eager to adopt it.
I've long been a Flash advocate, but it's clear even to me that Flash has simply been filling a gap that was missing in the world of HTML/CSS/JS. Apple have simply delivered the final blow and made it so there's not really much choice but to go down the HTML5 route. As a developer who has to turn around websites quickly, this is a major pain in the arse; doing the same thing in HTML as in Flash may be generally possible but it takes a hell of a lot longer, has to run the gauntlet of browser differences and finally be degradable for those on IE.
I'm sad to see Flash go (and at least in its current guise - as a browser plug-in - it will disappear), but I can understand the logic, even if I don't particularly like it.
Lew
Because his history is entirely made up. Looks like he started following computers a week ago and then just assumed the last 20 years look just like last week, and somehow it all magically goes back to his... choice of cell phone? WTF?
1. Open standards historically have come about *after* proprietary solutions, not before. One vendor comes up with something, then they all jump in with competing solutions, then a few of them get together get together, carve out a standard, and bring the ISO in, if only to spite the first vendor. 2. VB is a language, .NET is a framework. Javascript showed up much earlier than .NET; they never competed as web technologies. ActiveX would have been a better example. I doubt he knows what ActiveX is.
3. Apple never "won the desktop computing war."
4. In what sense was Windows more open than MacOS in those days? That it ran on compatibles? So what? The only advantage of compatibles were that they were cheap. Just like today, both platforms will run whatever code you write for them. Thus, open platforms. Plus nobody actually ran Windows 3.1, they pirated it and then continued used DOSShell.
5. Android is growing quickly because it didn't exist a little while ago... two phones sold from one is 100% growth.
6. Android has nothing to do with anything, especially not Flash and *especially* not 90s operating systems.
They marked him troll because they were being generous by assuming that he *knows* he's saying idiotic things. That or they were lamenting the lack of a "-1 head trauma" mod.
Sure, but those would be standard-based security holes, so there's no problem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfmbZkqORX4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sKpsZfrUeY
Bloated and buggy?
I prefer open standards, but Flash has provided a solution for the past 10-15 years while browsers are still playing catchup. I have a 5-6 year old dual processor rig that plays Flash animations smoothly (20-30fps+), and for me, has never crashed on me. It does have trouble with HD video, but I can live without HD... Honestly speaking tho, normal video viewing should be done by the browser anyway with open and *FREE* codecs to make and show (you know, the way it was done before with media player plugins before Flash removed the need to install codecs).
I really hope Flash doesn't die until the browsers can actually replace it's functionality. There's no way any current browsers can support a full 3d or even reasonably hefty 2d.
http://www.optimum7.com/css3-man/animation.html
This doesn't run in Firefox 3,6,3, Internet Explorer 8, at least not on this rig. The "Only runs in IE" syndrome is happening again...
So ya, HTML5 isn't quite ready yet.
Except that WebKit is becoming a pretty pervasive core for browsers. So much so that it's now the 'in' thing to do to bash browsers that don't run it..
"Waitress: Well, there's Flash egg sausage and Flash, that's not got much Flash in it.
Wife: I don't want ANY Flash!"
I think TheRaven64's idea is to serve no Flash to users of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and IE + Chrome Frame, and serve only minimal Flash to users of IE with no Chrome Frame.
I just played it in Chrome on a recent high-end quad-core. It's got a long way to go to beat Flash. Looks very contrived from a programming point of view and is full of artifacts (blurry zoom-ins).
That's why you should fear HTML5. If Flash dies, those adverts will become trickier to block. Sure Noscript may do it if the script host is different, but they'll work around that.
It's not about apple, its about the slow death of a boated over used insecure format.
Each 'random site' as you call it, is another nail in the coffin and i look forward to a return to a less "client hungry" net.
Oh wait, you are a troll.. nevermind.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
There is still Gecko. But now, WebKit is only becaming pervasive because it works well, there is nothing stopping competition or forking.
Rethinking email
The motherfuckers force you to register to download PDFs. Even when it's stuff that's otherwise freely available. Oh and their Flash viewer is the worst UI I've encountered, c'm'on, a tiny widget with scrollbars, instead of opening my PDF viewer of choice, that's so frustrating I curse the fuckers for hours after I've been tricked into clicking a scribd URL. Will it be better with HTML5? I don't know, it will still be just as fucking useless.
That festering pile of pus that is Scribd is not just copying works, it's altering them in such a way as to victimise both the users and the creator.
It needs to die, or at least to get out of Google's search results.
maybe now scribd won't be a completely worthless waste of space on google searches and i can reconfigure my firefox Optimize Google plugin to stop filtering out scribd.com search results.
I didn't consider Apple into the story for even a moment.
This is about a major site switching to a better platform - one that works properly on all kinds of devices and *gasp!* even makes it easier to search and index on the net!
I am not devoid of humor.