Well. We certainly expended an awful lot of energy yesterday around the news that Adobe and Macromedia will merge into a single digi-opoly in the coming months didn't we? As the dust begins to settle on this development we who are fans of Macromedia have much to ponder yet.

In my initial reaction to the news (well, I'd rather not print my initial reaction) I talked a bit about how losing the Macromedia identity was going to be the hardest thing to swallow. It still feels that way now.

Like most of the partners here at Community MX I've devoted a lot of energy as a fan of Macromedia. Even though I had to back off my Team Macromedia commitment to do more volunteer work with the education side of Macromedia (and see my family from time to time), the time I spent in the incredible Dreamweaver and Fireworks newsgroups--with all of the smart, funny, creative people who hang out there was really valuable to me. Not just from a technical sense, but also because of the friendships I developed there over time. Thankfully many of those friends work with me here at Community MX, so giving up my newsgroup habit didn't completely cut me off.

So I know that those groups are burning up with speculation, anger, fear, and many other emotions even as I type this. (I'm purposely staying away from those groups lest I get swallowed into that morass.) And I wonder how those communities will weather the coming change. Specifically, will Adobe Dreamweaver still engender the same loyalty and incredible fan support that Macromedia Dreamweaver does? Will the culture of helpful enthusiasts, and the open door policy that Macromedia has had with its fans, continue in the future? Will the loss of a brand name make a difference in how the community views itself? What will the employees of the newly organized Adobe do to engender open communication and community building? I hope they learn from Macromedia and embrace the culture that allows newsgroups and blogs and UGs and conferences like TODcon to survive. Then again, maybe Adobe already does that. But the tough sell will be keeping fans together after their favorite team has changed names, locations, and direction.

My partners and I here at Community MX are feeling the same things that everyone else is feeling, and while I don't have time to check I'm sure they've been vocal in the Macromedia groups that they frequent. In our private group the talk has been positive and while sad, as upbeat as we can be. Of course, we look at things from a business as well as a personal viewpoint, but I think I'm safe in saying that as this unfolds there will be new opportunites for Community MX as a business enterprise. Luckily our services can turn on a dime, and our partners have lots of experience in a business where people routinely use both Adobe and Macromedia products. That puts us in the unique position of being able to help our subscribers see how the coming integration will affect them, examine new tools as they are launched, and be here when our subscribers have questions. It will be an exciting time and I believe we're ready for the challenge. And while we move forward we'll continue to write and teach about all things web and Macromedia related.

Here's hoping that all of the other Macromedia communities and groups maintain their identities as well.