Think of a client who has absolutely no clue about the different technologies; they have a Flash Builder project they want to be worked on and they post a job posting looking for a Flash expert. They go through the screening process and when they’ve finally chosen a Flash CS4 specialist, they find out that it’s actually a Flash Builder project. That Flash CS4 specialist has never used Flash Builder and is now no longer qualified, and the client loses their time and money. In fact, you, yourself supported this fact with your comment by saying “What there isn’t a place for is confusing Flex as a new technology or confusing Flash and Flex and interchangeable, as they are not.”

Furthermore, think of people who have no experience with Flash and only with Flex – I’m one of them. I very rarely use Flash and I have no idea how to get around the timeline, but I’ve built several enterprise level applications for big names. Instead of being a Flex specialist, now I’m a Flash Builder Specialist – I wonder how many conversations I’m going to have about people wanting Flash work done but explaining that it’s not Flash, it’s Flash Builder – explaining the large differences between the two. (and there are a lot, as you very well know)

Please, try to explain to a non-technical user what the difference between a “Flash” and a “Flash Builder” project is. Seriously, tell me if your client leaves more confused than he came in with. It’s already hard enough to explain what Flex is, and renaming it to Flash is going to make it more confusing.

I’ve never come across anyone who has said that Flex is an unproven technology, and even if I do in the future, that’s pretty easy to dispel. (Just explaining that Flex is a framework built on Flash and that it’s aimed more at programmers pretty much dispels these concerns)

As a Flex developer, I shouldn’t have to learn how to use Flash to stay competitive. I build rich internet applications, not animated designs – I’m a programmer, not a designer.