430EXii Broken wide-angle diffuser: so what?

Yesterday the wide-angle diffuser on my 430EXii came off in my hands. I don't recollect any drops, bumps, etc., that would have caused it to break, but on inspection, one of the two tabs at the base of the diffuser, the ones that hold it in place, has broken off.

I have read in some other threads that if the diffuser is broken, the flash will be stuck at 24mm zoom. However, the zoom on mine still works. I am not very experienced with flash, so I haven't done any test shots, but when manually zooming the flash I can see and hear it working.

So my question is: so the diffuser is broken. If it still zooms, is that really a problem?
Thanks in advance. I am traveling so might not be able to visit again for a day or two.

Bumping back up. Anyone?

well if the zoom still works, then the only issue I can see would be using a wide angle with the flash, you lose the ability to light the coverage area of the wide angle. Take shots against a wall at the different zooms, if it truly is woking, then you will be able to visually see the difference on your camera as the flash area gets smaller.

I had this happen with my 430ex. If you can make sure the parts that hold the diffuser are pushed back, the zoom will still function. At least it did for me. I just popped a stofen on when I wanted to use a diffuser. There are also parts available to fix this if you feel like DIY. Around $25 if I remember correctly, but it's not a big deal unless you need wider coverage for some reason.

Another thread is active on this:
430EX II wide angle diffuser broke

Thanks for the feedback. I don't anticipate needing to use the flash at 14mm zoom, so your answers confirmed my hunch, that I do not need to be too worried about the broken diffuser. I saw the other active thread but it didn't ask the same question as me, so I thought a new thread was justified.
Thanks!