Slowly but surely, the HTML5 language is replacing the flawed Flash, which has been exploited by hackers in an unimaginable number of attacks.
A positive development is the fact that Facebook is abandoning Flash and adopting HTML5 (YouTube has already done so in the recent past).
“We recently transitioned all Facebook web videos from Flash-based video players to HTML5, including videos in News Feed, Pages, and the Facebook embedded video player. However, we continue to work with Adobe to provide a reliable and secure Flash experience for games on our platform,” reads the official statement released by Facebook.
We are big fans of HTML5 since it eliminates the weakest link in the user interface and in programming terms, makes the job easy for developers.
Facebook explains the pros of HTML5 that they will use from now on:
1) Programming speed
“Using web technologies allows us to introduce an excellent tool that exists in browsers, within the open source community, and on Facebook in general. Without having to recompile the code, we are able to make changes directly in the browser, which ultimately allows us to move quickly.”
2) Testability
“We have a great testing infrastructure at Facebook. By going to HTML5 video, we can use the full range of web tools in our infrastructure, like jest and WebDriver, that are available to us.”
3) Accessibility
“HTML5 gives us the ability to build a player that is fully accessible to screen readers and keyboard input. We can leverage the accessibility tools that HTML5 provides to make it easier for people with visual impairments to use our products. Making Facebook accessible to everyone is an important part of our mission to make the world more open and connected.”
