I love a good conspiracy theory. Thus, it was with great interest that I read John Nack’s latest blog post, Adobe is “sabotaging” HTML5??, a rebuttal to the AppleInsider post titled Adobe working to sabotage HTML5 (updated).

In his rebuttal, John is quite matter of fact in his assertion that Adobe is not blocking HTML5. Additionally, he calls into question the editorial due diligence of AppleInsider and the author of the blog post, Prince McLean.

John quotes extensively from a statement by Adobe representative Larry Masinter’s comment on the subject.

I have many friends who hate Flash, refuse to install it on any computer they have (no matter how compelling the content) and anxiously await HTML5 because they see it as a Flash killer. Each time this conversation comes up, I like to remind them that Flash itself is not a bad thing, it’s the over-use of Flash by Marketing departments worldwide for such things as “Punch the Monkey” or the abomination of the web, sIRF, that are what is wrong, not the technology itself. Don’t think for a moment that these will go away because HTML5 is released—at best, they will just be updated and ported to the new technology.

Flash helped the web grow into new areas and, while we are all happy to see HTML5 come along, let’s not kick Flash (or Adobe)—instead, let’s remember that it served, and continues to serve, an important function.

All corporations, regardless of their corporate motto, have the potential to be evil and I don’t deny that Adobe shares in that potential. That having been said, Adobe has never seemed to me to be the evil type. I’m going to have to support John on this one and accept that, as he puts it, AppleInsider’s article may have been processed through the digestive system of a cow.

Disclaimer: Adobe is a client of Marco Tabini & Associates (php|architect’s parent company) and Blue Parabola.