Adobe rolls out a new version of Flex.org

Yesterday Adobe took the wraps off of a new, improved version of Flex.org. The site is Adobe's developer portal for Flex. It's always been a bit more informal than the Flex Developer Center on the Adobe site, and prior to the redesign, it had languished a bit as a resource. But the redesign gives it a much needed jolt, and I think it indicates that Adobe is preparing to ramp up its developer initiatives.

The new site has things you'd expect, examples, downloads, community sites, and a getting started section, but very prominently on the page are links that target other developers. There are sections for using Flex with ColdFusion, Java, .NET, PHP and Ruby. Adobe is very much trying to get Flex in places where developers have traditionally shied away from Adobe products. There is also a heavy emphasis on community in the new site. According to the Flex Team blog, you can add your Flex applications to the showcase by tagging it with "flex.org" on del.icio.us. It makes it available to the showcase, but also makes it easy to search for Flex applications for anyone who wants to try it out.

Developers are a hot commodity, and there is currently a shortage of talented Flex developers out there, so hopefully this site will help people get over the learning curve. Microsoft has always done a fantastic job of supporting their developers, and it looks like the Adobe team took some inspiration from them when setting up Flex.org. It's a good time to be a developer in the Rich Internet Application world!