>Stephen,
>
>John P. has made it obvious that he sees NO benefit/validity/future for a VFPDA.
>
>To argue the contrary with him is to waste energy - he can outlast you for sure!
>
>I have written before that I see him as a "stealth" MS marketer. He may be losing some of that stealthiness, like F117 #806 seems to have over Serbia.
>
>If a VFPDA develops to have good intentions it will evolve and succeed despite John's naysaying, and if it doesn't he can always say he was right.
>

Count me as anoher naysayer here, Jim. The VFPDA as it's proposed now is a bad move, at least IMO. While we can document places where VFP has been successful, and write up all the one-sided comparisons that we like, there are several major problems with the VFPDA as its proposed now. First and foremost in my mind is the mindless introduction of those who want to hunt down and attack anyone making a statement that's bad for VFP's image, whether the slight is real or imagined. I abhor PC, and I won't be a participant in dictating the rules of PCdom, nor will I participate in any organization that attacks other POV, correct or not, with the zeal I've seen in the initial incarnation of VFPDA.

It absolutely terrifies me that those who would be the 'leadership' want to appoint officers, marketing managers, and start collecting dues before even a clear statement of the goals and methods of the organization exist.

As someone who is often a vocal critic of VFP as the single tool for application development, it's extrememly likely that I'll invoke the displeasure of The Powers That Wannabe in this organization. On that basis, I won't join, or participate in, the VFPDA as proposed today. I don't want to be a card-carrying member of the Divine Church of the Fox, or a Defender of the Faith.

I can make a better contribution to the VFP community developing apps that work well, releasing useful pieces of code when I can, and answering questions posed by clients regarding the viability of the product, and posed by other developers who might be able to use what I've picked up using the product.

>Cheers,
>
>Jim N
>
>
>>Now writing for Oracle Mag might not be the best first attempt at getting published, but Software Developer, MSJ, Dr. GUI, NY Times, Wall St. just to name a few.
>>
>>Writing is good.
>>
>>How about a web presence that contains:
>>Lists of "mission critical apps"
>>Conversions from Access where data got to large to handle
>>Different Back end sources
>>A ROI for SQL Server proposal
>>
>>Other people can chime in with their wishes and wants.
>>
>>__Stephen Russell
>>
>>
>>>>I just want to know if the permission is required. If not, I'd try to target >corporative audiences (Intelligent enterprise/Oracle Magazine, and so on).
>>>
>>>To write articles, no, you don't need MS's approval. However, if all you are going to do is write articles, you can do that today.....right?
>>>
>>>>Even if the articles are not published, I could use them in the >internal/external sales proccess, sure.
>>>
>>>What value to the sales process is an article that has not been published????? It is the publishing process that gives the piece credibility.....right? I am not saying that valuable content is not in the piece. The goal of an article should be two things:
>>>
>>>1. To convey good and accurate technical information that has an audience.
>>>
>>>2. To get published.
>>>
>>>I can tell you right now, a VFP article would not get published in Oracle Magazine. At least, I am 99.99% sure of that. Why would the technical editor of the magazine devote 2-4 pages that is of little to no interest to their readership. It is not the job of a technical editor to provide content that you, I , or anybody else things is cool. Rather, the editor's job is to publish relevant technical material. Relevant in this case being defined was what the general readership is interested. Otherwise, the magazine provides no value. This is why 100's of technical publications exist.
>>>
>>>So, to expend the effort write an article that has little to no shot of getting published makes zero sense.
>>>
>>>Just my 2-cents...