The issue here is supply and demand, and it is not about forcing anyone to learn or use anything they don't want or need.

That seems more like a DBA or IT configuration tasking position. Not so much an algorythm or "design" emphasis. Most of those DOT jobs and bench development IT jobs are gone or going. See the Morgan Stanely thread! Shouldn't North American developers rely on and improve "innovation" skills rather than trying to compete with the kinds of jobs (like C/S support and maintentenace and the DOT commerce benchie professions) that seem to be leaving the country by the boatload.

Why learn DOT anything if you can't make enough to pay the rent with it. Not only is the labor cost cheaper overseas - but your company, MS, is discounting the heck out on OSs and MS apps that those foreign jobs banks buy. So - when Morgan Stanely goes accross the sea - not only are his labor costs cheaper, but his infrastructure costs (XP/SQL/MS Office purchases) are also cheaper. How can anyone here compete with the labor or MS discounts across the pond.

In fact - a lot of MS operations have also moved across the sea. But - your job has stayed here. Why didn't your job go away? It stayed because you are an inovator - not a DBA or IT manager or a DOT benchie. Shouldn't we take advantage of what North America does best - software inovation (movies, music and sexy computer programs). And should not Microsoft do all it can to advance innovation - something that VFP or C++ is good for - rather than the false allusion that learning .NOT and being a DOT benchie will somehow keep our rent paid!

Microsoft should be lobbying universities and colleges to put VFP back on the curriculum and make sure that the students leave with more that an understang of how to hang a VFP grid on a form!