Two completely different things are happening:

(1) Limited Flash block list in Firefox 48

Most Flash will NOT be blocked in Firefox 48. There will be a specific list of SWF files that are blocked, based on their apparent use in tracking (browser fingerprinting or settings Flash "supercookies"). So far, this list is pretty short and it's unlikely to affect typical web use.

(2) Defaulting Firefox to "Ask to Activate" permission

At some point, Firefox will switch Flash from "Always Activate" permission to "Ask to Activate" permission, like other plugins. If you are not familiar with how this works, you can test it now if you like. This option has existed for many versions -- I have used it myself since it first became available.

To set "Ask to Activate", open the Add-ons page using either:

• Ctrl+Shift+a
• "3-bar" menu button (or Tools menu) > Add-ons

In the left column, click Plugins. On the right side, look for "Shockwave Flash" and change "Always Activate" to "Ask to Activate".

User Experience: With this setting, when you visit a site that wants to use Flash, you should see a notification icon in the address bar and usually (but not always) one of the following: a link in a black rectangle in the page or an infobar sliding down between the toolbar area and the page.

The plugin notification icon in the address bar typically looks like a small, dark gray Lego block. When the page wants to use a blocked plugin, the icon turns red to alert you to the concern.

If you see a good reason to use Flash, and the site looks trustworthy, you can go ahead and click the notification icon in the address bar to allow Flash. You can trust the site for the time being or permanently.

But some pages use Flash only for tracking or playing ads, so if you don't see an immediate need for Flash, feel free to ignore the notification! It will just sit there in case you want to use it later.

Impatient Sites: Some sites do not allow enough time to use the plugin notification icon. In those cases, you can use the Permissions panel in the Page Info dialog to preset the permission for that site. When you are on some page of the site, either:

• right-click a blank area of the page and choose View Page Info > Permissions
• (menu bar) Tools menu > Page Info > Permissions
• click the padlock or "i" icon to the left of the site address, then the ">" icon, then More Information > Permissions

Near the top, you'll find the plugin list. To set a site-specific permission, choose the desired bubble. This should be saved immediately; you can close the dialog when you're finished.

No, FlashPlayer will be phased out eventually, but not by August 2016 or even the end of 2016.

There are three related separate issues, and it is worth remembering target dates sometimes slip.

1. Click to play, That is the option or need to click before flash content will be activated on a site as explained in the article you linked to Set Adobe Flash to "click to play" on Firefox
2. Removal of flash content that is invisible (or nearly so) to users. That is what the BBC news article and the Mozilla blog refer to
   Adobe Flash Usage in Firefox
3. FlashPlayer will inevitably go away as far as Firefox (and other browsers) are concerned but per this Mozilla blog most plugins will stop working in Firefox by the end of this year 2016 but with an exception for FlashPlayer
   "NPAPI Plugins in Firefox"
   https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2015/10/08/npapi-plugins-in-firefox/

   Because Adobe Flash is still a common part of the Web experience for most users, we will continue to support Flash within Firefox as an exception to the general plugin policy. Mozilla and Adobe will continue to collaborate to bring improvements to the Flash experience on Firefox, including on stability and performance, features and security architecture.

Just curious:
Where do Shumway and HTML5 fit into this whole picture nbsp;  ?
Dumb question maybe   ?

Shumway -- a tool that would allow browsers to convert Flash into HTML and JavaScript on the fly -- seems to be waiting for someone else to pick up the ball and run with it. Mozilla doesn't have enough resources to continue pursuing it to completion given other priorities.

jscher2000 said

Shumway -- a tool that would allow browsers to convert Flash into HTML and JavaScript on the fly -- seems to be waiting for someone else to pick up the ball and run with it. Mozilla doesn't have enough resources to continue pursuing it to completion given other priorities.

Thank you   !
Just noticed my HTML-error   (left out the '&')   -   sorry   !