I’ve been asked so many times since Friday what I think about Apple’s decision with regards to Flash that I’ve decided I need to jump ahead in this series of posts and go right to the heart of the matter.

Today, in fact, I was asked point blank to summarize why we think Apple’s decision to block Flash from the iPhone and iPad is bad. Here’s what it comes down to for us (and, btw, I’ll just say iPad when I mean both the iPad and iPhone): It hurts customers. It hurts consumers who use the iPad, and it hurts businesses that would like to put content or applications on the iPad. It hurts them, in fact, more than it hurts interested 3rd parties like us.

First of all, iPad users browsing the web are going to miss out on a substantial amount of content on the web. Any site aimed at youth or children or any site that features rich media has Flash content right now. It will take years for that to change. If, in fact, that happens.

Second, businesses that want to create Apps for the iPad can’t share the development between platforms. They will be forced to do separate development work for the iPad. This won’t stop a Disney or a Rogers, but many companies have constrained marketing and IT budgets. This will cost them more money, or prevent them from doing what they want. Smaller players will lose out disproportionately.

Third, Some of the people who Apple is penalizing with its decision are fans of both Apple and Flash. Many of them are consumers, young, trendy, and hip, who value experience over “web standards”, whatever that means. Many of them are people, like us, who buy and promote Apple products and also create Flash content. We are among the influencers who helped point the market towards Apple many years ago.

And, with its restrictions on how iPad Apps can be built, Apple is adding more roadblocks to developers, on top of what is already considered to be a broken process: Getting an App into the iPhone App store. Read Paul Graham, an iconic technologist and VC backer, on what the App Store approval process is doing for Apple’s reputation. Even before Apple’s decision to completely block Flash, he said, “The App Store is an ongoing karma leak.”

And finally, advertisers may well lose out. Flash ads are clicked on more frequently than static images or text. Look for click-through rates on the iPad to be significantly lower than on other browsers. Why, because the Flash ads won’t show, and unless they’re replaced by other interactive/animated content, they will likely have a lower click-through rate.

We don’t even really care about the potential legal issues and anti-competitive nature of Apple’s decisions. If it comes to using the law to get Apple to change, it will take so much time and money, the issue will be dead before it’s settled.

No our frustration is that Apple is hurting consumers and businesses alike, as well as themselves, with a shortsighted decision.