ActionScript gives web developers an almost unique chance to grow their skills; out of the common languages in a web developers itinerary ActionScript is almost the only one where a developers code is going to be run 30-100 times per second, with common methods being run literally thousands of times per second.
Further the code isn't running on a solid server where the environment is controlled, and where you can simply throw more processors and memory at a problem to make it go away, the code is being run on differently specified machines almost every run, in a different client and in different versions of player.
To compound this unique situation the virtual machines (relatively) poor performance comes in to play.
Why is this good?
It has spurred a good percentage of ActionScript developers on to look at more advanced levels of code optimisation, to consider factors which are simply ignored and overlooked in other languages, to work with (and create) other technologies in order to push performance to the max; indeed even to hack the virtual machine to bits then create custom compilers and optimisers.
Libs and frameworks from PV3D through to Flex, projects such as haXe, Apparat and Alchemy; not to mention the wide array of technologies from AMF to RTMFP - this list goes on (and on).
There are 3 types of coders: bad coders, normal coders and ultra coders who's skillsets and level of understanding are far and beyond that of the normal coder; what I'm trying to get at here, is that the ActionScript challenges outlined above create an environment where a higher percentage of coders can grow in to ultra coders, than in any other language I know.
The Flash / ActionScript pair gives both designers and developers the notion that anything is possible - and this spurs them on to the push boundaries of what can be done; that kind of thinking sticks with people, they carry it on to other languages, platforms and communities; bringing inspiration and forward thinking to the web of humans.
Context: Really enjoyed reading this post: The Advantage Of ActionScript from Joa, in particular I'm glad that he mentioned "Poor Performance" as an advantage. The above post leads on from Joa's to give some of my own thoughts on why we all owe ActionScript and Flash a little something.
