I don't think it is a minor detail if your students think "flow" means
moving matter and you define it as you did here on the list.
I simply asked if you tell your students what "flow" means when you use the
term vis a vis energy.
I can feel fairly comfortable with your argument about energy flow _if_ I
know that you are using the definition you gave here on the list; but you
also seem to agree with Jim that energy flow isn't stuff moving. I almost
think you'd agree with each other if you could agree on the definitions.
Seems to me to be an argument about semantics and pedagogy, which is why I
keep asking how you tell your students about energy flow. What is in your
students' minds?