[Foundation-l] We should permit Flash video playback

[SJ Klein]

It is of absolute importance for major projects to push for free formats, 
and to avoid hosting encumbered formats -- even while supporting 
compatibility to improve access and usability.  This is one of the
more effective ways to change the format universe.

We can do more than be firm about a commitment to open formats, we can 
make some noise about it.  The Xiph Foundation is still around, though
its members are rather busy; some sort of regular announcement -- for 
instance, as part of the announcements of where the free format 
communities and projects are heading in the next year -- would be welcome 
by everyone.

A good place to start, regardless of larger partnership, would be helping 
the Archive identify and implement a fast transcoder.  They would do that
in a heartbeat.

SJ, looking at some ogg-encoded language learning materials


On Sat, 21 Jul 2007, Gregory Maxwell wrote:

> On 7/21/07, Tim Starling <tstarling at wikimedia.org> wrote:
> [snip]
>> I too want to have content that you can freely reuse, and that can be
>> edited with free tools. But I want to support popular non-free client
>> systems as well, to improve access for readers.
>
> Just to correct a piece of misunderstanding some may have after
> reading the above:
>
> The free formats we use are not copylefted. They are not fundamentally
> incompatible with non-free software.
>
> The reference implementations are BSDish licensed. They are available
> for use in closed software, and are widely used in closed source
> software.
>
> Microsoft ships Ogg support embedded in many games for their internal audio.
>
> Opera is closed software, and the upcoming version will have
> Ogg/Theora support.  Ogg/Theora for video support is now part of the
> standing WHATWG HTML5 standard specification.
>
> All in browser web video playback today requires some sort of software
> install on typical non-free desktop systems.  For some sites it is
> flash, others Java, and others require other types of plugins or
> players. Flash penetration is somewhat higher than Java, the magnitude
> of which depends on the type of audience you service. (All three of
> the financial services sites I use require Java for something, as does
> some VPN software I use... So while Java is in decline for webtoys it
> still dominates web tools for professionals)
>
> The player we have today works for a significant majority of the
> people who try it.
>
> You certainly can't argue that the use of Ogg/Theora excludes non-free software.
>
> Two years ago you could have argued that the use of only free formats
> was significantly hurting access by readers. Today that argument is
> much harder to support. Within a year as nave support goes into
> released versions  FireFox and Opera that argument will be far harder
> still.
>
> Wikimedia's exclusive support of unencumbered formats has had a
> material impact in their general viability.  To concede on this after
> so much progress, when the benefits of doing so are the least they
> have ever been would be foolish.