Posted on 06/18/2016 12:49:57 PM PDT by Utilizer
Adobe’s Flash plug-in has a big target painted on it. A recent leak shows there’s another Flash Player 0-day that allows attackers to compromise your computer, and that it’s been for sale for the last four years.
Flash is going away, and everyone should uninstall it at some point in the future. Here’s how to get rid of Flash, whether you’re using a browser’s built-in plug-in or a system-wide plug-in on Windows, Mac OS X, Chrome OS, or Linux. Can You Live Without Flash?
Flash is much less necessary than it’s ever been. Modern mobile platforms like Android and Apple’s iOS don’t offer Flash support at all, and that’s slowly pushing Flash out of the web.
You may find you don’t need Flash at all after you uninstall it. Even if you do need Flash right now, there’s a good chance you won’t need it at all in a few years.
If necessary, you can reinstall Flash later. If you need Flash for something, you may want to only install Flash for a specific browser and leave it disabled in your main browser. At the very least, you should enable click-to-run for Flash content so it doesn’t automatically run on web pages you visit.
(Excerpt) Read more at howtogeek.com ...
Actually, no I didn't. I merely pointed out that a video I attempted to view apparently uses the viewer that the author of the article said is dangerous and needs to go the way of the dinasours. I then posed the question as to whether there was an alternate way to view it that you tech savvy FReepers might recommend. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to computers, which is why I'm so grateful for the expertise that you and dayglored and others have to offer. Thanks again.
Now, now, Utilizer, be nice. :-)
In the company where I'm a SysAdmin, we have scores of technically competent engineering and administrative users who recently (at my behest) removed their Flash plug-ins. And three guess, first two don't count, how many called the HelpDesk with "Hey, now my Flash videos won't play!"? More than a handful.
The only way Flash will finally die is when people stop using it. It exists primarily to serve advertising, and advertisers who embed Flash ads aren't stupid. Evil, perhaps, but not stupid.
But only if we stop viewing the Flash content.
Deoetdoctrinae: Utilizer is correct, write email to the companies who post Flash-only video and tell them you'd love to watch it with any other video player/plug-in and would they please cooperate? Hit them in their wallet, as they say, and they'll eventually listen.
And I too have been known to download content to a "safe" computer to view it, usually a captive VM (virtual machine) that I can wipe and restore in minutes, should something go haywire.
On My system the standalone player is named “Gnash”, and the one I was using previously was named “klash”.
For critical flash content they are what I use, but again never while I am online.
You should check your system for the standalone players it has access to.
Cheers.
Sorry if that came across as harsh, but I was genuinely confused.
Apologies to anyone that took it the wrong way.
Thanks my FRiend.
Good info. Thanks again!
No worries. I was just tweakin' ya a bit, mate. :-) I know ya don't have a mean bone in yer body.
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