Hi John,

>The VFP market share IS NOT increasing. At best, it is holding constant. Yes, there are new people that use the product. However, the rate of new people is at or below the rate that people leave.

I dunno about that. VFP work is expanding here in the state capitol because people are finding that it makes a great front-end to data warehousing systems...also, I'm seeing some Access stuff replaced with VFP. Hell, I know of a VB app that was replaced with VFP. Now, I wouldn't say it's "Katie bar the door" as to marketshare increases, but I am seeing some decent inroads. Let's call this a draw.

>>1) The Fox team at MS is bigger than it was a year ago.
>
>Are you talking support or core development? The core development team has not grown. As for support, I don't think that has grown either. So, just where do you get these facts....????

It has either grown or is growing. I believe they were recently looking for a coder with C experience and a QA person. In fact, I know someone (an MS employee) who was interviewed for the QA job. Sorry, John, Craig is right on that count.

>>2) Fox is getting a serious look at by many people since being bundled with >Visual Studio
>
>Really??? Who???? Unless I hear the words "Visual FoxPro" coming out of Bill Gates or Steve Ballmer's mouth in a positve light, I would have to politely disagree with this statement. Cmon Craig, VFP has been part of Visual Studio for 2 years now.....

Call this a draw, too. VFP gets a serious looked when a VFP developer grabs a VB or VC++ developer and shows it to him/her. I've seen that happen, but no spontaneous leap to the product just because it's in VS.

>Was it at TechEd? - No...
>Was it at PDC? - No...
>Was it mentioned at this year's DevDays? - No...

I think it will be at some point. Someone in our community has to come up with the compelling reason why VFP is vital to Win DNA. A problem is, as you have pointed out in the past (and I agree), is that the Fox community is insular and doesn't necessarily make contributions to the big picture that MS would look at as being worthwhile.

>>3) My conversations with several people at MS...and that includes people not on the Fox team
>
>Shall I compare comments I have received to your's??? I don't think you would want me to do this?

Maybe you should :-)

After all, you didn't know about fairly public job openings at MS.

>>4) The VFP certifications exams. These will definately help increase attention on the product.
><
>
>You think so...??? Sure, the MCP folks are interested in someone to review the exams. They need to.

I think so too, John; I agree with Craig. Look at it this way: You can only become an MCSD using VB, VC++, or VFP. That ranks VFP up there with the "premier" tools. It validates VFP to the business community as a professional tool as it passes down to VFP legitimacy from MS. I think this inclusion is very important.

>Nobody gives a crap about VFP outside the VFP community...PERIOD.

Part of the problem is that most VFPers don't give one outside the VFP community.