>Colin,
>
>I agree. Until MS pushes current VB, C++, whatever users as well as users new to MS fold, to VFP for data centric applciation development - or at least gives it equal footing with Access, VB, I will continue to believe the "VFP is slowly dying" threads. I SINCERELY WISH IT WERE NOT SO!
>
>The problem that Craig (apparently) and others fail to see is that all the improved marketing of VFP is by the VFP group to the VFP community (notwithstanding and ad or two here and there in VB magazines). While any marketing is better than none - the problem lies in VFP's "positionining" in the minds of MS Brass across other groups and products. Ask the Office people or even the SQL people and you will either not hear about VFP at all, or you will be told as I was recently by the East Coast grand pubah for SQL Server, and I quote as best I remember ... "Yeah ... everytime we try to kill Fox, the developers scream .. so we'll keep it hanging around for awhile I guess"
>

Nope. I've seen this happen. What you don't realize is how difficult this type of education is. The VFP team has high recognition inside MS. The VFP 6.0 beta was the best run of all the VS components. The VFP MVP program is the template the other products are trying to follow because it was the best run. The problem that exists is that MS is a HUGE organization and it is difficult to make sure everyone reads the messages. As for the "grand pubah for SQL Server"...he is among the uneducated. I'm sure that if you had a name, Robert would see to it that he got the message.

But, when I talk to support engineers for other products and they say "In the last bit, I've gotten lots of calls from people trying to link to VFP. What's up with this increase?" Or, I hear Bill G. (and I have heard him say this) say that VFP is a great product and they will continue to enhance, support, and market it...it tells me that people are getting the message.

>That is as clear a statement as I've ever heard to illustrate exactly how MS as a WHOLE feels about VFP. If R. Green and the team want to market, they need to start with their own company. As long as Office people, and NT people, and SQL people, etc. have and SPREAD the attitude that VFP is dying on the vine, VFP will never be able to increase user base significantly - and as you pointed out, Colin, it is those voices that are heard by industry decision makers.
>
>I mean - get real! If you're a non-technical VP trying to make a decision and you are presented with this choice by MS:
>
>1) the product that everybody is using, that we recommend, that is our flagship, that we put most of our effort into, etc, etc, etc
>2) a good product that is primarily targeted for legacy applications and the user base that has been using it forever
>
>what would you choose?
>
>Ken
>
>