I didn't say it was preferable. I just feel that i don't have to know the name of the scale while i'm using it because i pretty much know how it will sound before i even play the notes.
I don't see how this is preferable to not knowing. Whenever I think of something new, I can usually tell what scale I'm using just by listening to it, but in those cases when I'm not sure, I always make an effort to figure it out before moving on with the rest of the piece.
