Hello!
In this little letter here, I'd like to discuss Adobe Animate, and Macromedia Flash 8.
I'm going to begin by describing a scenario. Jim. wants to get into animation. he has a really cool project in mind to make this animation. he looks up what his best options are for animation. ToonBoom and Adobe Animate come up. but both are not only frantically expensive, but SUBSCRIPTION based as well! This little passion project of his doesn't have any backers and Jim completely broke. He enters the word Free at the beginning of the search bar. then discovers that Macromedia Flash 8 is available for download in several different locations. after doing a bit of research he sees that Adobe doesn't seem to mind due to the fact that they haven't done anything for YEARS to really crack down on it, and it seems widely used.
he downloads Macromedia Flash 8 from a strange place off a strange website, luckily there are no viruses. he makes his passion project and is quite happy with his work.
However now he is at complete risk of being fined to the point where his entire life could be destroyed in an instant if he is discovered for using a 13 year old piece of software for a little passion project that he wanted to make.
Believe it or not that scenario happens literally every single day.
Macromedia flash 8 is a VERY widely used program. so much so that collaborations involving animation have to specify software versions from Flash 8, to Flash CS6, to Animate.
Animate in itself is a very shiny and pretty program mind you. I've seen it in action and used it myself. wonderful set of tools. While it may be lacking some optimization and a plethora of features when compared to Animate, Flash 8 still does it's job as a very basic and rudimentary art/animation program.
There are literally thousands of artists at risk for being fined. Adobe LITERALLY has the power to snuff out the animation community in an instant if they put enough money and work into it.
However... that would be fairly counter productive and could lead to a serious outrage against Adobe for attacking the creative community. The creative Cloud kills Creation. in a sense. Irony at it's best.
So here is my suggestion to Adobe:
Polish Macromedia Flash 8 some to be a bit more compatible with more recent Operating systems if need be, and release it as freeware. it would put a VERY good impression on Adobe as a company and would allow creators to have more confidence, not only to release their works, but talk about the programs they used to create it.
Now I'm not saying to give Flash 8 a complete overhaul. Keep it as is, small, dinky, slightly buggy. and kinda frustrating at times. Keep it to be the Flash 8 we know. Now not only would this allow Content Creators to more easily have the tools they needed to make what they wished without threat, it also gives them respect to Adobe for supporting smaller creators and incentive TO those smaller creators to purchase animate once they become more notable.
This also allows people to become familiar with the classic Adobe Software layout, which would make them gravitate towards what's familiar. I personally wouldn't get Flash 8 then go onto ToonBoom for example. I know how to use Flash, so I'm going to get Animate because it's the latest version of what I already know
This applies to all software mind you. even older versions of Photoshop could apply to this rule.
I hope that this letter finds the Staff of Adobe well and I hope that it gets moved up the chain so that those who can put it into play may consider this.
Macromedia Flash 8 is still in use. it is still widely popular. IT'S STILL RELEVANT. please help the Animation Community in this regard.
Thank you for reading.
I hope I didn't just make a fool of myself.
P.S: would this be at all possible?
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