
266 ◾ Web 2.0 and Beyond: Principles and Technologies
14.2.2.1.1.1 Adobe Flash Flash is a veteran in Web terms, having been a consistent pres-
ence since it was introduced by Macromedia in 1996 (the company has since been bought
by Adobe). It was originally developed to deliver vector-based animation within the browser
window via the use of a plug-in (the Flash Player). e Player is available for a range of desk-
top operating systems and browsers and it is widely accepted that at least 95% of Web users
have the plug-in installed (Benninger 2006). ese days it is widely used for animation and
user interactivity, but it is also popula