Doug,

While everything you say is nice ... and true to some degree ... honestly (as a lot of comments here are) it is a little on the polyannistic (is that a word <g>) side.
It leans toward the "if you build it, they will come" attitude which we all know is a "field of deams ..." (sorry, couldn't help it :-D ).

The truth of the matter is more like "if you market it and give T-shirts away, and use it for demos, and take the IS mangers to lunch, and actually recommend it from the Office group or the SQL group" they will come. The goal ought not to be to "get around or succeed in spite of" the realities (which are just perceptions) of the industry ... but rather to change them! Let's get VFP more "entrenched" ... those things don't happen by accident.

If the goal is only to make a living as a developer and roll with the tide, then your points work well. If however, the goal is to secure long term growth and support for the language that we know and love, then we need to be more proactive.

I am reminded of my near 20-year Rock and Roll career that I finally gave up when I realized that making good music or talent had absolutly ZERO to do with success. The same is true for development. Client success stories are nice, but they will never outweigh marketing, marketing, marketing MARKETING! Perhaps it takes coming up through the marketing/advertising industries as I did to realize the great truth of product success is that "What real ain't what's real, what they believe is real is what's real".

If you don't believe this ... talk to BetaMax owners!

Ken



>Ken,
>
>>> But THAT FACT (at least when talking data -centric apps) is EXACTLY what we need to change!!!! there is NO excuse at SQL Serve seminar for VFP not to be used in equal amounts as VB or VC as the demo front end. As long as we have a "oh that's too much too ask, it'll never happen" attitude ... well, we'll be right.
>
>I've been doing Fox since 1987 and hearing the same stuff from day one, only then it was A-T that was the big bully on the block or Nantucket was the eeevvilll entity. *g*
>
>A few observations if you will permit me:
>
> 1) There are *NO* guarantees for *any* language in terms of durability.
>
> 2) Some languages are more entrenched than others. C & C++ more than VB, VB more than VFP, etc. It's the way of life.
>
> 3) There will never be any end to the need for developers.
>
> 4) Developers need constant pressure to keep sharp.
>
> 5) If a developer feels insecure in the current language they are using they should move to a more entrenched language.
>
> 6) Don't waste your time and effort trying to change those who care less about your survival than their own bottom line. That applies to your customers and your suppliers (of development tools).
>
> 7) Be the best you can be at your chosen development tool. A constant series of success stories created with your particular development tool will do far more for the advancement of that particular development tool than any open letter, whining campaign, public fretting or arm twisting.
>
> 8) Make your customers make money with your development tool and your development tool supplier will have more justification to their stockholders to prolong the viability of that tool.
>
> 9) Never stop learning and ALWAYS keep an eye towards the future.
>
> 10) Never presume that the knowledge you have used successfully in the past will help you in the future.
>
> 11) Enjoy the ride. Have some fun and let others worry about stuff they can't control anyway.
>
>Best,