You're a wise man ... AND you're independent, I now notice. :)

>Basically, I agree with your description. If one paints his opponent as lazy bum who is not able and does not want to learn new technologies, stuck with obsolete software, doesn't respect acknowledged experts etc., then further discussion becomes so easy, like one mouse click.
>Let be sincere, people may have vested interest. Not everyone is truly independent. It's not realistic to expect that MS employee may tell everything he really thinks. However, it doesn't mean that questioning at this point is something detrimental.
>Finally, everyone is entitled to have own opinion, and there are situations when this opinion will inevitably conflict with other opinions/interests, i.e. singing "let's all go along", and labeling those who can't is not fair. Everyone makes own choice, takes own responsibility, and entitled to have own judgement.
>
>>Interesting you mention the strawman. On a Dutch weblog (actuality, politics) the strawman fallacy has some time back been discussed and I participated a bit. As to my understanding a debater can be said to apply the strawman fallacy if he sketches an image of the opponent that is not accurate, but that better suits his need to undermine the opponent's position. Words of the opponent are interpreted in a negative way and the character of the opponent is also evaluated in a negative way.
>>
>>Perhaps you can elaborate on the strawman fallacy. Maybe some here can learn from it.
>>
>>
>>>Sorry, but that's a faulty, strawman logics. Nobody said that MSFT owes anything to Fox developers. It was about stating opinions, counted or not.
>>>
>>>>Well said!! You read my mind ... that's exactly how I feel about this.
>>>>
>>>>Cathy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>You have to understand one thing and one thing only:
>>>>>
>>>>>Microsoft doesn't owe you or the rest of us anything. Nowhere in the license agreement you accepted when you installed VFP (or any other product for that matter) does it say, Microsoft shall support VFP indefinitely and build new versions until there's not one developer left who wants it.
>>>>>
>>>>>Products get phased out. It happens all the time. And VFP didn't even really get phased out - the announcement just declares no new versions.
>>>>>
>>>>>Where do you draw the line? VFP developers are a dwindling breed. The VFP market is shrinking next to nothing. When should they quit? When you're the only one left standing? The developer base isn't tiny, but compared to other Microsoft technologies it is very, very small.
>>>>>
>>>>>You make it sound like somebody pulled a fast one on you. Like you have no choices. You have plenty of choices INCLUDING going on building VFP applications as you do now (I assume).
>>>>>
>>>>>C'mon. Microsoft has been clear for many years that they had no interest in making a strategic effort in VFP. If you couldn't see the writing on the wall you just were not paying attention and living in some sort of fairy land and instead of researching other technologies you'd be here raving trying to organize a petition to Microsoft or some other futile effort.
>>>>>
>>>>>We've been extremely lucky that the people who continued on the Microsoft FoxPro team for the last few years (Calvin, Aleksy, Robert, Alan and even Ken and Randy before) have been so dedicated to keeping the product going and providing major improvements in the last couple of versions - knowing full well that Microsoft wasn't putting much of an effort into VFP those years and knowning that MS would pull the plug eventually. I have to assume that there was a certain pride in building a quality product that's what kept them going - they 'owned it' and it showed. The product that is out there now is solid, mature and stable.
>>>>>
>>>>>So what do you want? Microsoft to say "We're sorry, Peter! We really didn't mean it. We'll build a custom new version just for you!" <s>
>>>>>
>>>>>Under the circumstances, YAG's announcement and response (especially to the various mean spirited responses) was much more personal than was required.
>>>>>
>>>>>It's done, it's over. But that doesn't mean that it's over for VFP. With support and boxes selling until 2015 you have plenty of time to continue building VFP applications...