>Thanks for that Cindy.
>
>I don't really know how to "read" this though - it seems like a new development to me. I was previously under the impression that Mr. Green was the top VFP person and that VFP comprised the sum-total of his bailiwick (always within the VS umbrella, of course). It certainly *appeared* to be that way for a few years now, leading me to assume a hierarchy like:
>Product Manager, Visual Studio and reporting to that person:
>- Product Manager, VB
>- Product Manager, C++
>- Product Manager, VFP
>- Product Manager... you get the picture, for as many as they need
>
>If everyone is just a "Product Manager" now (no product of function within the title) then it bodes poorly for users in general and VFP users in particular. This really is obfuscating communication between MS and users rather than strengthening it in any way.
>And it provides for the real possibility that VFP will just fade away as far as future development is concerned.
>
>I had seen the *possibility* that Mr. Green was now responsible for VB as a probable POSITIVE thing for VFP provided that someone else was installed as the 'leader' for VFP. But this development really only provides the possibility of watering down Mr. Green's activities regarding VFP.
>
>I am now very concerned, especially since this all seems to have come about in a clandestine way.
>
>regards,
>
>Jim N
>
>

Jim,

There is a hierarchy. There is one person at the top of the marketing hierarchy for Visual Studio. Robert is one of the marketing people. His primary responsibility is VFP. He has responsibilities in other areas as well. Note that he is in marketing. He is not the top VFP person. He handles marketing. There is a top devleopment person, Ricardo Wegner, who is in charge of the programmers who create VFP. Robert is not Ricardo's boss and Ricardo is not Robert's boss. Ricardo is Group Program Manager. In the MS scheme of things, a Product Manager handles marketing and customer interface. The Program Manager handles development. Calvin Hsia and Randy Brown are both Program Managers. Ricardo is their boss.