We can't say there's a ton of surprises here, but, if you're curious to know exactly where Google stands on the whole HTML5 / Flash debate, the company has now laid out its position in a post on its official YouTube API Blog. The short of it is that while Google says it has been "excited" about HTML5 for some time now and that the <video> tag is a "big step forward for open standards," it says that Flash will continue to play a "critical role in video distribution," and that it remains the "best platform" for YouTube's requirements today. Of course, Google also didn't let slip the opportunity to once again talk up the recently-announced
