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I worked hard on making them look exactly the same, but the way the upload and process the image is entirely different.
The flash version works exactly the same across all platforms and browsers -- it even works in IE6. The HTML version will look the same as the Flash one on a modern browser, but you'll see the difference if you visit it in IE7-8.
The Flash version also processes the image before it's uploaded, so that it actually ends up uploading about half the data (for larger images), thus making them upload a lot faster. For the HTML version, it needs to upload the entire thing first, and then process it on the server side.
Overall, the Flash version provides a more standard way of uploading that works for everything. It's also way faster for larger images.
In time, the HTML version will be the default, and the Flash will be the backup (once I figure out how to do the client side processing in canvases and JS). However, right now, browser support for new HTML5 features just isn't there yet. Way too many people visit the site on outdated browsers, and I think it's important to provide the same experience across all browsers, no matter the version.
The flash version works exactly the same across all platforms and browsers -- it even works in IE6. The HTML version will look the same as the Flash one on a modern browser, but you'll see the difference if you visit it in IE7-8.
The Flash version also processes the image before it's uploaded, so that it actually ends up uploading about half the data (for larger images), thus making them upload a lot faster. For the HTML version, it needs to upload the entire thing first, and then process it on the server side.
Overall, the Flash version provides a more standard way of uploading that works for everything. It's also way faster for larger images.
In time, the HTML version will be the default, and the Flash will be the backup (once I figure out how to do the client side processing in canvases and JS). However, right now, browser support for new HTML5 features just isn't there yet. Way too many people visit the site on outdated browsers, and I think it's important to provide the same experience across all browsers, no matter the version.
+1
Thanks for the prompt and extremely informative reply! It's clearly a necessary feature. I suspect I'm just rebelling against Imgur becoming less simple than it used to be, but that's the minimalist in me!
+1
Well as the site grows, the needs of users grow too :( For what it's worth, the flash version has been the default for over a year.
Customer support service by UserEcho
The flash version works exactly the same across all platforms and browsers -- it even works in IE6. The HTML version will look the same as the Flash one on a modern browser, but you'll see the difference if you visit it in IE7-8.
The Flash version also processes the image before it's uploaded, so that it actually ends up uploading about half the data (for larger images), thus making them upload a lot faster. For the HTML version, it needs to upload the entire thing first, and then process it on the server side.
Overall, the Flash version provides a more standard way of uploading that works for everything. It's also way faster for larger images.
In time, the HTML version will be the default, and the Flash will be the backup (once I figure out how to do the client side processing in canvases and JS). However, right now, browser support for new HTML5 features just isn't there yet. Way too many people visit the site on outdated browsers, and I think it's important to provide the same experience across all browsers, no matter the version.