Re: [Gnash-dev] Implementing Stage.showMenu()

[John Gilmore]

Unlike the lockdown proprietary player, a free player should never
prevent the user from accessing gnash's menus.  These are the only way
that users normally even know gnash is there (e.g. the "About" box
required by the GPL, which notifies users of the copyright and license
and their rights).  It's also the only way for the user to ask gnash
to do things that may be discouraged by the author of the flash movie
(like "Save As..." or "Save all media", or "quit showing me that ad").

It can be possible for a *user* to specifically configure gnash to
suppress menus (perhaps for a kiosk application).  But it should never
be possible for a *flash movie* to suppress gnash's menus.  Gnash
should always serve its users, like all free software (if it doesn't,
users can and should modify it to do so).  The user needs a 'trusted
path' to communicate with gnash.  The flash movie that gnash is
interpreting was often supplied by a third party and is not
necessarily the user's friend.

        John