The New HTML5 Logo - Click here http://bit.ly/fYllxZ for full article

Click here http://bit.ly/fYllxZ for full article

Whether you're an Apple "fanboy", Web developer, geek or just a casual technology enthusiast, it would be tough not to know about the recent news regarding Flash versus the open standards movement. Spurred largely by the emergence of mobile platforms such as the Android OS and new devices like the iPad, there's been a renewed focus on cross-platform Web performance. That means giving developers the tools they need to create lean, powerful websites and applications without having to worry about royalties, licenses and closed-source technologies.

Widespread HTML5 adoption across the Web seen by many as the best possible way for that to happen.

Though many have heard of HTML5, few actually understand what it is and what it entails. Call it a marketing problem, if you will.

In an effort to rectify that lack of brand identity and awareness, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), a standards organization, has unveiled a new HTML5 logo to spread awareness of the technology. Created entirely with open-source, cross-browser HTML5 and CSS3 to show users just what it can achieve, the logo relies on no proprietary technologies whatsoever and is freely available under a generous Creative Commons license for use on any site that wishes to display it. Webmasters can advertise their adherence and commitment to open standards by flying the HTML5 flag on their home pages.

Supporters see the new logo not just as symbol and a rallying point for proponents of open standards, but also as a creative way to brand the standard and promote it in the public eye. New ways of displaying rich graphics and media, such as Ogg, WebM, SVG, WOFF and PNG will eventually replace older formats like Flash video and proprietary audio codecs. HTML5 will play an important role in this transition, as it allows Web designers to create sites that render the same, regardless of which browser the end user works with. The new HTML5 logo itself is available for download at the W3C site in both PNG and SVG image formats, and it is also selling stickers and T-shirts to further the visibility of the standard as much as possible.

Elegant, beautiful and simple at the same time, the new HTML5 logo will hopefully open up the eyes of entrepreneurs and e-commerce business owners to the possibilities that lie unexplored within the HTML5 standard. Other open-source, non-proprietary technologies also will become increasingly popular in the near- and long-term future. Ultimately, closed-off systems and technologies will atrophy and die in the process. Consumers and Web surfers will be the biggest beneficiaries of the switch, as they'll get a far more rewarding and hassle-free Web experience in the process.