Inconsistent access to MEW archive

[Colin WilksParticipant @colinwilks45682]

I can use the MEW archive on my android tablet without problems for the more recent back numbers, but anything prior to issue 278 presents text in a grey box where the magazine thumbnail usually appears. The text instructs me to tap on it to close the box, after which I'm looking at a grey screen.

I don't think the issue is at my end as all the recent issues display and navigate perfectly, it's just the older ones.

All ideas gratefully received!

Colin Wilks

[Colin WilksParticipant @colinwilks45682]

Can only view previous 21 issues – nothing older

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You need flash player or something that will allow Flash to be viewed at your end, later issues are HTML5

Edited By JasonB on 20/04/2020 07:34:45

[Ron LadenParticipant @ronladen17547]

The same here I can only go back 16 issues can't open any after that..?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

As I have said several times before if you use Puffin browser on Android it seems to work best. You will also need to run it as desktop to get Flash to play which is done by clicking the three dots top right to open the menu and then select "request desktop site"

Works for me, I just opened 276 OK

Edited By JasonB on 20/04/2020 07:33:49

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Same problem on iPad it’s very annoying.

Having said that I am registered with Pocketmags which seems to give suitable access.

Edited By V8Eng on 20/04/2020 07:52:55

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Likely same Flash problem but I'm not an ipad user so not sure of whats best to be able to view flash.

Pocketmags won't give access to full archive.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

30 secs on Google suggests that Puffin will also allow Flash to be viewed on ipad and Photon is another browser that enables it. 

Edited By JasonB on 20/04/2020 07:54:24

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

OK it is not Android or iPad but the principle is the same. Flash is very vulnerable to hacks and browsers have steadily been blocking access to to protect you.

On my PC I only use chrome browser which out of the box blocks Flash, but it is simple to enable. When you see the little grey box saying flash is not installed, right click on the padlock icon next to the URL. You will then get the option to enable Flash. Then refresh the page.

If you dont get the option you will need to enable Flash first in Chrome's settings, there are guides on google how to do it.

I assume Chrome will work the same on Android

Edited By AdrianR on 20/04/2020 08:12:59

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Posted by JasonB on 20/04/2020 07:49:43:

Likely same Flash problem but I'm not an ipad user so not sure of whats best to be able to view flash.

Pocketmags won't give access to full archive.

 

Yes my Pocketmags only seems to go back to issue 206.

This is not exactly a new problem to me and with so many other things going haywire I have more or less been ignoring it!

I will look into your other suggestions later thanks Jason.

Edited By V8Eng on 20/04/2020 08:14:40

[Colin WilksParticipant @colinwilks45682]

Jason, apologies if I'm asking something you have answered before. I did do a search of the forum and read the faqs before posting. Puffin gives me a postage stamp sized view on my android smart phone after I've watched an advert. Puffin on my android tablet is the grey screen again after requesting desktop site. Have given up for now. It's a shame the site is so clunky. I'm a new subscriber and to be honest only paid my money so as to have access to the archive.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by AdrianR on 20/04/2020 08:05:30:

[…]

Flash is very vulnerable to hacks and browsers have steadily been blocking access to to protect you.

.

Thought for the day ^^^

MichaelG.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Colin Wilks on 20/04/2020 09:18:04:

Puffin gives me a postage stamp sized view on my android smart phone after I've watched an advert.

All I can say is it may be settings at your end, MEW comes up plenty big enough on my android phoe, don't have an Android tablet to try it on.

[Colin WilksParticipant @colinwilks45682]

I can get it to do that, but on my phone the text resolution of articles is so poor as to make it impossible to read. I can look at the pictures though!

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

For the ipad users this is the same Flash issue 274 using Chrome as the browser, don't know what settings my Dad has on it but it works.

[CirclipParticipant @circlip]

Yet another case of sloppiness on the part of web designers, only certain programmes work, "change to the zobothrutch browser."

Regards Ian.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by JasonB on 20/04/2020 10:43:49:

For the ipad users this is the same Flash issue 274 using Chrome as the browser, don't know what settings my Dad has on it but it works.

.

This might be of interest : **LINK**

Flash Player in Chrome is Dead in 2020: How to Play Flash Files

MichaelG.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Yes, I have recently started getting a message when I fire up Chrome telling me that Flash will no longer be supported after the end of 2020. It looks as if some work is going to be needed on the archives.

Russell

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Circlip on 20/04/2020 10:51:20:

Yet another case of sloppiness on the part of web designers, only certain programmes work, "change to the zobothrutch browser."

Regards Ian.

No, inconsistency on the part of web browser developers.

Five years ago Flash worked on everything.

Diffferent browsers have taken different routes to how they continue to support it. Firefox has been particularly 'holier than thou' about Flash yet I can still run it, I just have to remind the browser what pages I'm happy to run it from time to time.

Reverse engineering several hundred flash issues to HTML5 is not a trivial exercise.

Neil

Neil

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Russell Eberhardt on 20/04/2020 16:54:16:

Yes, I have recently started getting a message when I fire up Chrome telling me that Flash will no longer be supported after the end of 2020. It looks as if some work is going to be needed on the archives.

Russell

The problem is the archives are not a significant source of income, at present they are added value for what is still a relatively modest number of people who prefer a digital subscription. Partly this is because pirate digital copies of archive issues have effectively removed the potential value of a rejuvenated archive.

At one point we were close to an official DVD of the archive, but the sums didn't add up.

Because there's always the potential for the archive to become unworkable, the T&Cs say that continued access to is not guaranteed and I fear that if the choice was between investing in converting it to HTML5 of phasing it out, the business case would almost certainly be in favour of the latter.

Fortunately I am sure there will continue to be ways to run flash (although only 5% of websites use it now, down from 28% in 2011) for the forseeable future, but I'm afraid the onus will be on readers to seek these ways out.

So my advice is grit your teeth and find flash player/browser combination that works for you; I know it isn't ideal but it is doable.

What we can do is create a page with links to reliable flash players/browsers for viewing the archive on different platforms.

We have some suggestions already. If folks would like to post more links to what they recommend/use here, I'll create a page when there are enough suggestions for it to be worth doing.

Neil

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 20/04/2020 20:26:14:

[…]

Reverse engineering several hundred flash issues to HTML5 is not a trivial exercise.

.

I suspect that extracting them to PDFs would be comparatively trivial though

… But I do understand that MTM has its reasons for not so doing.

MichaelG.

[Swarf MakerParticipant @swarfmaker85383]

But if, as stated by Neil "the archives are not a significant source of income", what is MTM's objection to the old 'Flash' issues being put into a more accessible format, even with the 'risk' of them being pirated?

The demand for them, as perceived by MTM, is seemingly low and thus should be as unattractive to the pirates as it is to MTM.

I have more sympathy with the position regarding current HTML5 issues but the older archives can surely be treated as a separate, low financial risk, issue.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Swarf Maker on 21/04/2020 00:00:39:

But if, as stated by Neil "the archives are not a significant source of income", what is MTM's objection to the old 'Flash' issues being put into a more accessible format, even with the 'risk' of them being pirated?

 

As a Business I would think it quite obvious that MTM are not keen to do something that may cost them more than they are likely to get back, even more so with the current loss of income from extended publication frequency and loss of advertising that is going to take some time to recover from.

Who's to say what a more readable format is going to be in the future, everone could read Flash 5-10yrs ago, will we even be using PDF's in 5-10yrs time? Even if it does get upgraded there will still be moans from those that insist on running Windows 7 or earlier operating systems that they can't view the newer formats but I bet they would not go into Blockbusters and moan that the VHS tape they just hired won't fit in their betamax machine!

Knowing that Model engineers don't like to spend money it seems obvious to me that they will want to buy a pirate copy of the archive for less that £10 than take out a years digital subscription for £38 for only one years access.

Edited By JasonB on 21/04/2020 07:35:42

[Colin WilksParticipant @colinwilks45682]

I am setting up a workshop in retirement in order to restore and maintain my Austin Sevens, so my interest is very much focused on the basics. If the MEW archive had a searchable index and I could access specific articles, as opposed to entire editions of the magazine, I would pay for that. If I download a pdf I am fairly sure Adobe has the wherewithal to stamp my copy so if I start selling them off down the virtual pub you can get me bang to rights. Would I email a copy to a friend? Yes I would. Does this deprive the publisher of income? Strictly, yes, but if my friend is impressed by the quality of the content and its production and takes out his own subscription, then maybe I am simply acting as an unpaid salesman for the publisher.

[Martin 100Participant @martin100]

By the end of 2020 Flash will no longer be supported. It will be actively blocked on all mainstream web browsers and all operating systems that receive regular security updates. Pointing out that Windows XP or Windows 95 or whatever run flash is futile.

**LINK**.

The end of life for flash was something widely reported at least in the technical community elsewhere nearly three years ago, so more than adequate warning. The views of Steve Jobs on the matter were known about a decade ago.

**LINK**

Flash currently, across all versions, has 1078 documented security vulnerabilities. So just reflect on that figure or one brief moment. ONE THOUSAND AND SEVENTY EIGHT security vulnerabilities

**LINK**

That leaves the end user with the choice of having access with a security compromised out of date operating system / browser, or losing access.

Of course where might be workarounds with virtual machines used only for magazine access.

Flash is at the moment patched several times a year, often once a month, come the end of the year it won't. Accidentally access a rogue site because you had to keep flash to read 'your favourite magazine' and it could lead to no end of grief both for you and for those say in your email client address book.

The question for the user is do you feel lucky.?

The request to the providers of flash content is PLEASE do the responsible thing. Flash is very dead, or soon will be. Expecting your subscribers to compromise security to read 'paid for content' IS IMHO irresponsible.

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