I've alluded to this before - when all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.  I was thinking about XML then, but after chatting with an old mate the other day it became clear that it applies to Flash as well...

So a couple of profound rules: - I'm putting the Flash community on notice

1. Don't play music.  I was already listening to something, thanks.  ...and I liked my music better.

2. If you absolutely must redesign the common UI metaphors like Buttons and Check-boxes they must work as well as the ones I am use to.  Dont make me have to 'Learn' how to use my computer again.

3. I'm not a mouse in a wheel and no I am not having fun following & clicking a beeping whatcha-mahoozit just to get what I came to the site for.  Yes, I came for a reason and yes that stuff is standing between me and what I want to see.  And No that dosen't mean you are not still very tallented at making beeping whatcha-mahoozits.

But on a more serious note, there are two issues still outstanding with the Flash community that can be an obstruction to less savvy users:  The Back button is useless and I can't bookmark where I am at.

So imagine I am training someone very new to computers about the web... it's going to go something like this:
yes, this is a web page... you can go Back (think bread-crums analogy) and you can save your spot (bookmarks in a book analogy)... oh except for this page - this is what we call a *Flash* page... no, not flash as in... oh forget it....

The point:  No one should have to care what technology the content is written in.  Not beginners and certainly not me.

What's the silver lining?  When the signal-to-noise ratio in any space takes an injection of background cosmic radiation the real cream of the crop just shines through.  Well implemented Flash is sublime.  The rest, well its just the rest.