Yeah, I have seen jobs requiring 5 yrs experience in .NET, 5 yrs experience in VFP, 5 yrs experience in Java, COBOL a plus for $45 /hr. :)

>No apology needed. I was just stating my opinion, and (almost) never have a problem when someone has a different one.
>
>There are a lot of .NET developers out of work here, too. As you say, things have been tough all over. I have invested quite a bit of time in learning .NET, both formal classes and self-study, and have not been able to get a foot in the door without work experience. In a more robust economy sometimes people are given that first chance based on general skills, how they present themselves in the interview, etc. These days it seems like employers are saying the want X years of experience and insist on it. I don't blame them. If you have a pool of experienced applicants, what motivation is there to take a chance on someone with none? (in the particular skill(s) you are looking for)
>
>>Hi Mike,
>>
>>I apologize for the flaunt. That was not my intent. These are tough times. Forget about VFP developers, the entire country is having a tough time and it will be YEARS before it ever recovers. MS recently laid off how many - 3,000+ ?
>>
>>If it makes you feel better, I know more .NET guys who are out of work than VFP guys. In fact, in So. Calif. I only know one VFP programmer (and I know many here) who is out of work and that's because he took advantage of an employer who allowed him to work from home.
>>
>>
>>>>>>The funny thing is that of all the VFP developers we have, only two or three have ever HEARD of the UT. In fact, of the many dozens of VFP programmers I have worked with over the years, I estimate that roughly 10% have heard of the UT and maybe 2% are actually members. Can you blame them? Who wants to read these stupid "VFP Dead Threads". I have been in and out (out mostly) of the UT for many years and nothing has changed.
>>>>>
>>>>>I've seen this elsewhere, where I worked or was interviewed for a job - in a team of a dozen foxen, one or two would be here.
>>>>>
>>>>>I think the trouble with UT and fox-is-dead threads over the years was the high visibility of UT to Microsoft. Just open your environment manager in its out-of-the-box shape, and the first thing it does is to go web and pick the news from a few places, UT being among them. So the product itself contained a highly visible link to here. Many user groups were/are publishing their meetings here, most of the MVPs were/are regulars here... and this is where (certain circles in) Microsoft went when they tried to kidnap the community and convert it to dot net. Few hours of search of UT messages could prove this. I remember a case when an user group in Montreal (or Vancouver?...) was hijacked to become a dot net community, with full presence of M$ folks. The story was told here, along with many others.
>>>>>
>>>>>So the pressure to drop VFP and switch to dot net was felt here strongly, probably stronger than in other Fox fora, simply by place being more exposed, and by it being more densely populated with agents/proponents of the switch. Such is politics.
>>>>>
>>>>>I'm generally ignoring the "is dead" threads, it's just out of sheer laziness that I didn't mark this one to skip over.
>>>>
>>>>Yep. I'd venture to say that it's not VFP thats dead, but it's the UT that's dead. Always the SAME people talking to the SAME people about the SAME things - it's been that way for years now. It's pitifull, actually.
>>>
>>>With all due respect, Jeff, I think you may be in denial. Things may be hunky dory with you and the bank and this particular VFP app, but I do not believe that is the general case at all.