Macromedia giving away Flex

Macromedia on Tuesday announced a free licensing program for noncommercial users of Flex, the company's server application for creating Flash-based interfaces for Web services. Under the program, bloggers, hobbyists and other qualified noncommercial users will receive one free license for the server version of Flex and one for the accompanying Flex Builder authoring tools. Macromedia said it will begin accepting applications for the program in a few weeks.

Flex is part of a wide-ranging effort by Macromedia to expand the use of its Flash format, once mainly associated with blinking banner ads, and make it a broad foundation for delivering Web services and media.

[Not Bugged]

Laszlo goes open source

Flex is trying to gain market share by inviting non-commercial users to use it and then advertise the benefits. I am surprised that there is no coverage for Laszlo which is based on a similar concept. XML based RIA.

[powerclam]

Just Say No!

Flash is EVIL!
It adds NOTHING USEFUL, and increases the Pain In Butt quotient 100-fold.

Say No To Flash!

I kind of agree...

I kind of agree. I have seen very few sites done with Flash that really needed it. It seems that the creators of most Flash sites do it for the wow factor and for bragging rights and not because Flash let them do something that couldn't have been done better, faster and easier without it.

Though I have seen some good uses for it. Mostly for animations and even evil ads which I think are much beter (smaller, faster and nicer) than non Flash versions.

Overall, I think Flash is way over used and not for good effect either.

Robert