RIP Flash: flashback, flash-forward

Everything starts in the dark.

The end of Adobe Flash is here.

For many of us forward-obsessed creative technologists, we’d moved on from Flash a long time ago. But I have to admit, the software’s death feels bittersweet.

It’s got me thinking about not just how far I’ve traveled but also how far we’ve come from a time when websites were just flat, blue and white links rendered in 2D.

It also makes me reflect on simpler days. Given that my time nowadays is filled attending seemingly endless Zoom meetings, reviewing virtual stacks of documents, and, on the rare occasion I leave my home office, trying to find the hand sanitizer, it feels awesome to reminisce.

Back in the day, I effortlessly juggled Photoshop, Flash, and code for hours on end. Within no time, I could spit out a website that did everything but the Irish jig.

Today when my team and I work on digital products, we have to think about multiple devices and so many different use cases that, left unchecked, the process can be a time suck and creativity buzzkill.

This is where pausing to take a walk down virtual memory lane is especially useful. When I look at some of my favorite multimedia companies, digital agencies, and wildly talented peers, I can point everything back to the days of OG “Master of Flash,” Billy Bussey.

Billy was a pioneer. I wonder what he’s up to these days. Might as well Google him:

What once was a mind-blowing portfolio site for a designer with an incredible client roster that included popular rappers, celebrities, and other household names is now just another internet relic.

“Big deal,” you’re probably thinking, as websites and their creators come and go. They fade out as chart-topping artists like Marily Manson did. Sure he’s still worth millions, but a Vegas residency is probably his best bet nowadays.

Sites like DeviantArt, MySpace, Kirupa, and platforms like IRC seem positively archaic today compared with Discord, Slack, and other more…