Where and how (and if) to install the Firefox "flash" plugin

[Josef Lowder]

.
I have avoided putting "flash" on my system because of all 
the negatives I have heard and read about it.  And, while I 
think I would still prefer to try to avoid it as much as 
possible, since it is becoming so widely used, I am finding 
that there are many websites that are impossible to view 
without having to navigate through the flash nuisance. 

So, I wonder what the PLUG community view is on this? 

And where and how should I or can I install it to minimize 
any problems and security risks, etc. that it may impose? 

When I tried to install some media player type utilities, 
including the Firefox "flash" plugin today on my backup Linux 
system, I ran into several problems. 

First, I have no sound.  When I try to run Amarok, a window 
opens and I can see a little "equalizer" type graphic displaying 
some apparent sound, but I cannot hear any sound from the 
audio output jack (the green one). 

Second, when I tried to install the Firefox flash plugin from 
the following links, I am unable to get it done. 
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
http://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:7
http://plugindoc.mozdev.org/linux.html#Flash

After getting to the point where I see the screen-capture image
shown at this link:  http://upquick.com/temp/flashdown1.jpg

I click on "Download the Flash Player .rpm for Linux" ... and 
I then see the screen-capture image shown at this next link: 

http://upquick.com/temp/flashdown2.jpg

What is that all about?  How does one proceed from there? 

I also started to try the other download option: .tar.gz 
but I could not find any information on where (to what directory 
location to download that and where and how to install it. 

Hope someone can point me in the right direction.