There are two prevailing issues in the fight between Apple and Adobe.

The first is whether or not Flash should be available in the Safari browser running on Apple’s mobile iPod, iPhone, iPad platforms.

The second is whether or not Flash (or any middleware platform) should be used to create apps for Apple’s App Store.

Block Flash on Apple Safari’ Mobile Platforms? Fine.

Let’s talk about the first issue. I believe Apple has the right to block Flash from running on the Safari browser.

When I was head of product marketing at ESPN Mobile (the nation’s first and last virtual mobile service provider), we blocked a number of technologies from running on our phones because they crashed our core application services.

These technologies were placed on an internal black list until the vendor providing the technology was able to demo a version that met our performance specs.

The core driver behind this approach was that our customers plunked down a good amount of cash for our service, and we needed to respect that by ensuring solid, fast performance.

So, until Adobe can demonstrate a version of Flash that meets reasonable performance expectations on the mobile version of Safari, I think Apple’s stance is justified.

Block Flash as a Platform for App Store Apps? Not a Smart Move.

As far as not being able to use Flash 5 to create apps for Apple’s App Store goes, it’s déjà vu all over again. Apple tried something similar years ago when it kept its OS proprietary (except for a brief flirtation with licensing in the mid ’90s before Jobs came back).

The result is that while their line of computers is incredibly profitable, they still command a small share of the market. My bet is that their recent resurgence is due primarily to the wild success of the iPod and iPhone.

The idea that anyone should have a say about how developers decide to build their apps is nuts. As long as they meet end-result specs and performance requirements, who cares if they use Flash, HTML5, or even ActiveX?

But Jobs loves control. And unfortunately, he ends up shooting himself, his company, and the developer community in the collective foot when he does things that inhibit freedom of choice. He evangelizes interoperability and supporting open platforms, except when it comes to Apple products.

Unless he reverses course on this ridiculous developer rule (or the FTC and Justice Dept do it for the company), the iPhone and iPad will become small share players in a market dominated by Android — a platform that’s more open. Google is loving it, and they’re taking advantage by fully embracing Flash.

A Prediction for What’s Coming

This leads me to a larger thought. A few smart people have talked about the upcoming Platform Wars – where Apple, Google, and Microsoft will begin battling for web supremacy.

You can see Adobe being an ally state to one of these platform companies, as well as Twitter, and Facebook, and the developer communities.

I think the Apple versus Adobe dispute is akin to the formal declaration of this war. And now, we’ll see a mix of strategic and shifting alliances build between these companies – different configurations depending on the category.

One front of this war is about winning users. The other is about winning developers.

Apple’s move to control how developers build apps is an effort to lock them in to their platform. Google countered this move by embracing Flash, thereby opening the door to over a million Flash developers to create applications for Android devices.

We’ll see more of this kind of alliance gathering over the next years to come. Whoever wins the battle for developer hearts — on products that require developers to supply innovation — will prevail.

And since developers — as a general rule, and matter of history — don’t like to be told how to do things, my guess is that more open platforms will win.

Related Content

• Mobile Web Design: Is it Worth It?
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• Related categories: Web Development and Web Applications

About the Author

Mark Cooper is the CEO and co-founder of Frontal, an open source markup and scripting language that generates Flash. Over the past 13 years, Mark has helped launch an array of media, online and mobile businesses. You can find him walking the streets of NY looking for trouble. To get in touch, email him at mark@frontalcode.com, or follow him on Twitter: @frontalcode.

Social media distinguishes itself from less versatile interactive mediums of the past like print and traditional advertising by giving life to the Intelligent User.

This modern distinction is often misunderstood by web developers and under-appreciated by users because the power of choice is a novel distinction.

It didn’t exist in previous mediums. In marketing, for example, consumers are used to the old paradigm where they listen passively and marketers tell them what to think. The interaction only moves in one direction.

On the Internet, interaction is more involved and the Intelligent User — as the consequence of this new system — has overtaken the old paradigm.

Social Media, Briefly Defined

First of all, what is social media? Briefly — for the benefit of those of you living under a rock for the past half-dozen years — it is the integration of technology and social interaction. When you see social media, think blogs, Facebook, and Twitter.

How does social media work? I’ve always heard that the best advertising is word of mouth. The best explanation for social media is that it’s word of mouth on steroids, and people are sharing more than words. They also share ideas, pictures, video, and audio: Content. Then other users share that content — in turn, through personal connections — at an unprecedented rate.

Some content spreads like wildfire, and some makes the tiniest of ripples, but each choice is made by an Intelligent User.

The Misconception

With millions of people contributing to social media, there is a lot of noise. Which is why an explanation similar to the following — to explain how content spreads — is promptly furnished by anyone who doesn’t fully understand the mechanism:

"The credibility allocated instantly and unquestioningly to just about anything that is read online is a new phenomenon."

– Anne Kavanagh, Global Travel Retail

Returning to the ‘word of mouth’ comparison, the "phenomenon" is that word spreads faster than ever on the Internet through the web of connections built by social media.

The misconception is that in Kavanagh’s explanation of social media, there is no direction to the "phenomenon."

Word does not spread through social media "unquestioningly." It does not spread without thought or purpose. She offers decent advice, but her understanding is flawed.

Marketing campaigns based on this flawed understanding will never tap the full potential if the audience is treated like a mysterious phenomenon instead of a group of Intelligent Users.

Old Techniques, New Delivery

We can clear up Kavanagh’s misconception by explaining how social media actually works.

The "phenomenon" is not new. It’s not even a phenomenon. Social media works similarly to how word of mouth worked before the Internet, as I’ve explained, only now it’s amplified and recorded by technology.

Kavanagh was right about one thing. Word seems to spread "instantly" online. The infrastructure of social media is built for millions of immediate minute interactions.

You can literally watch it happen on a website like Twitter. Not only can interested parties follow the conversation, they can measure, assess and even, as Kavanagh suggests, influence its direction.

The Implications

To recap, Social Media is not digital paper. It is not just a bunch of noise. It is a multi-functional two-way communication system made up of millions of Intelligent Users.

So what does this mean for you?

To the Intelligent Users

You’re not just a statistic. Here are some things you can do to humanize your experience.

1. It’s an investment. The more you put into social media sites, the more you get back. Your experience is based on your willingness to experience. So put something in. Who knows what you’ll get in return?
2. Interact – Don’t be afraid of change. Go with your first instincts when using new products. Try it for yourself before you pass judgment.
3. Give feedback whenever developers ask! In fact, give it when no one asks. Positive feedback is always welcome, but don’t be afraid to give constructive criticism, too. It could make the product, perhaps even the whole industry, better.

To Developers

You are the innovators (or, as Nietzsche named his new philosophers, the attempters). But don’t forget that you’re making a product for the users.

1. Listen to your users. Your users don’t know as much as you do, but their feedback is important, especially the negative feedback. Be patient. Remember that you’re there to help them, not scare them off with your intimidating technological prowess.
2. Try new things. New ideas brought us here, and new ideas will lead us to the future. Although you must be attentive to your users, don’t be afraid when they protest new ideas. People are naturally averse to change. Facebook users protested the changes many times, but Facebook kept moving forward, and overall their changes have been an improvement on the experience.*
3. Don’t be afraid of failure, and most importantly, learn to recognize it. Remember, it doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, what counts is how many times you get back up.

* This is a subject open to debate and I am referring to the advantageous changes in the design, not the other issues.

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• 10 Great Tips for Using Twitter as a Designer
• 12 Excellent Social News Sites for Web Designers
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• Related categories: Content Strategy and Web Development

About the Author

Matt Herron is a 22-year-old American writer living in Germany. He’s was a designer/developer, and though he’s moved on, his interest in social media and technology-driven culture keeps him involved on the Web. He publishes short articles and essays on Tangible Motion and uses Twitter probably too much. When not writing or working, he travels to still his restless feet.

In this free icon set, you will find 10 high quality social media icons: Blogger, Digg, Yelp, Picasa, MySpace, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and an RSS icon. This set is perfect for bloggers.

Each icon comes in 4 sizes (512px, 256px ,128px and 64px) in PNG format. All icons have been created by La Glanz Studio exclusively for the readers of Six Revisions.

The icons are released royalty-free, so you may use them for any commercial or personal purpose, except the redistribution of these files without prior consent from us.

Preview

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• dark-social (ZIP, 0.99 MB)

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About the Author

Vasily Statsenko is the founder of La Glanz Studio, and he’s currently developing a web-based Virtual 3D library. He’s also a 3D artist specializing in digital graphics and modeling. To get in touch with Vasily, use the contact form on his site.

In our earlier post "Project 365 from 15 Respected Creative People", we have seen the interesting mini toy photography from Arielle (Danboard) and Teymur Madjderey (StormTrooper Lego).

Today we are going to check out the "Little People Project" created by Slinkachu. It involves the remodeling and painting of miniature model train set characters. Those tiny models are placed on the streets to form various scenarios. Here are some of the cute images taken. To view more of Slinkachu’s works, click here.

Slinkachu has also started a series of hero images that resemble an old Superman. This is a very funny concept where he drinks beer, visit XXX shop, fishing and etc. I am looking forward to more of this series.

Today, we have a new set of Premium Brushes available for Psd Premium Members. This set was crafted by Grant Friedman of Colorburned and includes 20 high resolution fabric inspired grunge brushes. If your next project calls for a grungy fabric inspired look, then this set is perfect for you. Learn more at the jump! Devamini Oku