Why does this theme keep popping up? Is it really important to you. Then you should be the strong silent type and take the issue up with those that do have "control" of your destiny. Telling us won't make your position more attractive to who ever you are trying to impress or whatever image you are trying to conform to.

I am not a MS repair guy. I am a software developer. You want to be an MS SQL Janitor - the "NET" guy - then by all means - go for it!

I see Redmond shrimp buffets in your future!

FPW is dead - but it is still doing a lot of work. Fox Base is still pumping IT shops. Non MS servers run over 70% of the internet. JPL and most NASA systems are not Windows. MS stock is flat. Yet they give away SQL loss leaders and buffet shrimp like there is no tomorrow.

90% of the market does not need, will not buy or cannot afford the "life cycle" costs of a SQL solution.

The only thing MS [really] has going for it is people that share your fears and the associated non-productive gossip. What's important is that we grow our skills and the value those skills bring to the market.

Talking about "brands" is something "management prospects" do because they don't feel comfortable writing code. Some people feel bad when they have problems measuring up. How do we measure a manager? By the number of platform suggestions they pitch to the executives or by the grace and value of the projects they deliver? How about the number of MS seminars they attend!

Foxpro Advisor was a VB shill. The UT magazine has more NET articles than VFP articles. The magazines go where the M$ ad buyers tell them to. And still with all that, VFP use is growing.

The best thing for xBase might be for MS to let it go. But then - what would you have to worry about? Those self anointed oracles of VFP's doom might have to stop talking and write code - and we wouldn't want to expose them to that.

If you want to sell SQL or blame a project in trouble on the "brand" of tool - then do so - but we've all seen it before. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you don't feel out of place. What matters is that you conform with your ideal of an "IT" professional (the guys and gals in the NET ad pictures?).

And we've had thread's like these since the last 2000 times someone suggested VFP is dead. Make your plans - you don't need my encouragement!

If you want to compete with offshore outsourced bench shops for sloppy corporate list management projects - then go with it. MS is just a custodian of xBase - they "inherited" it - who moves it forward is anyones guess - but the rumors of VFP's death are greatly exagerated - always have been - but it do keep the Redmond Shrimp industry fully employed!