What’s common among YouTube, MySpace, and Google Video? (3 of the biggest rising stars in the web firmament)

Ans: A technology derided by many, including Jakob Nielsen, is turning out to be the darling of the world-wide-multi-media-web 2.0.

Full Disclosure: As somebody from a corporate marketing agency that dabbles in flash design, I’ve got to say, times-are-a-changing in this age of the broadband internet. Flash has circumvented its inherent drawbacks (superficial content, cost concerns, complexity), by becoming the medium of choice for most audiovisual content on the web.

Here are 4 links commemorating Flash-mania!

1. Flash: 99% Bad: Jakob Nielsen’s paints Flash Bad, but reading the essay will show how the times have turned some of his theories upside down. Fascinating!

2. Flash turns 10: Wired News article on the occasion chronicles the rebirth

3. Top 10 Flash Designers on the planet…: and what they think lies ahead

4. Flash of Brilliance?: A flash presentation that is self-importantly titled “The Best Flash Animation in 2006”. Enjoy 2 minutes of pure inventive, ingenious, and creative animation.