Looks like I picked a good day to launch my blog. TechCrunch posted this story about Google and Adobe working together to create a new plugin environment and a better overall experience for users to consume Flash content. The idea is that Flash will come packaged with Chrome and sort of wired in a little closer to the browser architecture, allowing Flash to run faster [in theory] and users to immediately get new versions of the player as they download updates to the browser.

And so for the second time this year we find ourselves thrown into the debate of what this means for the future of Flash and the future of HTML5, and which is better and why. Are we doomed to ask “What does it all mean?” every time an upgrade to a technology rolls around? It can’t go on like this.

There was one thing poignant that stuck out about TechCrunch’s earlier article on the subject, before the official announcement:

After all, Google appears to be in the early stages of a war with former buddy Apple.

At long last, we get to the issue at hand. This isn’t HTML5 vs. Flash, it’s Google vs. Apple FRAMED as HTML5 vs. Flash. These are powerhouse companies with different philosophies on what user experience is working against one another. We’re caught in the crossfire and so naturally want the technology we feel most comfortable with to win. And this gets to the crux of the argument that you should decide what the best possible experience is for yourself. Be your own expert, learn the other platforms out there and it won’t matter what a major company decides what is and isn’t best for their platforms… you’ll be able to provide the best experience regardless.

Note: This post was originally published on jamie.kosoy.net in 2010.