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23/07
Licensing
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Licensing - 23/07/2008 - 12:41 GMT - [Link]

I had an interesting experience in work the other day.

(Whoah, Dave - you're actually going to write about something that happened in your life?)

Don't worry, it's not actually interesting at all. It goes like this:

I used to have Flash 8 installed on my work PC but, when I got a laptop and the PC went to a colleague, I never moved the installation because I had no need for Flash - until a couple of days ago.

So we dig out a random Macromedia Studio 8 CD from the software "locker" (read: unlocked plywood press) and install Flash on the laptop with the intention of somehow deactivating it on the old PC so that it can be reactivated on the former. I've done this with Photoshop so it shouldn't be too much hassle. After installation, I'm prompted for the license key and, as I type in the last digit, a little green tick appears beside the field. All good, click Continue...

I get "A problem was detected with your serial number" and a link to click marked "Customer Service" which leads to a 404 page on Adobe.com because, since Flash 8 was released, Macromedia have been bought by Adobe and Flash 8 is now being packaged as Flash CS3.

So I root around and find the Ireland support number and get through to an English call centre. Andy is an affable chap who, it quickly becomes apparent, has no idea how to transfer a Macromedia license from one machine to another because "it's been so long".

He puts me on hold for a couple of minutes and then comes back and tells me that because my serial starts with "WPD", I can install it on as many machines as I want and, er, this is because Macromedia relaxed their licensing conditions, er, shortly before Adobe acquired them so, er, I don't have to do anything.

The upshot is that every time I start Flash, I get the serial number error dialog. I hit Cancel and Flash continues to load.

So my interpretation of this is that either Macromedia set fire to their server rooms before the Adobe guys took over operations properly or Adobe just can't be bothered chasing Macromedia licenses. I'm not complaining - now everyone in the team can have Flash, and isn't that super.

And I just checked and the exact same thing happens with Dreamweaver. Score.


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About

This is LeSinge.org v3.0. It's on its sixth* server since I registered the domain name in November of 2000 and it has gone through several drastic facelifts in that time, usually prompted by some cataclysmic event like someone deleting a load of files they shouldn't, or a server being shut down. This is the maddest layout yet; I'm trying to fit the entire weblog (apart from diary archives and the gallery) into a single loading page using all sorts of PHP-generated DHTML jiggery-pokery. The idea is to make it more inviting to look around since there's no loading between "pages". It's still a work in progress (more a proof of concept than anything), so be patient!

I'm Dave Whyte, an Irish CS graduate, German speaker, linguist and incredibly talented web developer. I'm originally from Fermoy but I now live in Newbridge with my wife Beth and our son. I'm currently working for these fine folks and enjoying it greatly.

"The Monkey"? Eh?

My nom de guerre comes from an old Eddie Izzard comedy sketch.

Contact me!

Or: Meebo me!

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* I've been around: csd.dot-ie.com, matrix.netsoc.tcd.ie, ns1.ayntk.net, ns4.nestdesign.com, cotopaxi.33eels.com, chimborazo.33eels.com

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