suninphx,
I respect your opinion, but I disagree in part.
The Filing Dates for EB AOS applicants have been rendered superfluous by USCIS decision not to honor them. Whether to file an I-485, or for it to be approved, only the DOS FAD matters currently. I think we agree on that.
We'll have to see what happens in the future, but I have the sense/hope (like many others) that the Filing Dates are likely to be reset at the beginning of each FY to cover where the FAD is expected to reach by the end of that FY. USCIS may honor the Filing Dates for a month or two each time that happens.
Where they reset to is therefore dependent on where the FAD reaches in the preceding FY. A failure to reach the previous projection is likely to mean the Filing Date will not move as far as it might have done so.
Judging by what happened when May/June 2009 were open for filing, there are anything from 3.0 - 4.5k more applications to be filed between July 2009 and May 2010 under EB2-I.
I don't think the Filing Date concept will become useful until the current backlog up to May 2010 is nearly exhausted. Only then might the date move more regularly and be accepted by USCIS.
Finally, this is the first time CO has semi-officially acknowledged that the estimated Filing Dates may not be reached. That is newsworthy and significant. Until now, it has only been people like those on this forum who have drawn that conclusion.