Garrett...

You should ask yourself why she never answers the question. I only bring it up as part of the explanation of why FPA is in the shape it is in today. My theory is that technical editors of magazines like FPA, VBPJ, etc, really need to have a good base of practical experience. That base of experience needs to be borne from the delivery of applications. The experience cannot be gained by poking around the help files, by reading books, by going to Devcon sessions or by talking with folks that do real work.

It's really common sense isn't it? After all, who do you want in place as a technical editor? My vote would be for somebody who not only has a clue about real-world development, but who has also "kept-up" on the latest technology.

All of that said, I have put out a challenge to Tamar to discuss the "real-world" development she has done. I have also put the challenge for her to discuss what work she does with the latest innovations. If it sounds like I am questioning here fitness for the position she holds, yes, that is exactly what I am doing. And yes, it is my right to do so...

Look, nobody is forcing Tamar to come over to the UT and answer these questions. Personally, if she ducks the questions, my points are made. The fact is, she has been the Editor of FPA for quite some time. As far as what got in/not got into the magazine was entirely her call. Therefore, I hold Tamar responsible for the shape that FPA is in today. Further, I hold Advisor Media accountable because they let this whole thing happen.

As of now, I have made my points. For me to continually rant is beating a dead horse. With that in mind, I am not going to press Tamar for answers. If she steps up to the plate, great. If she does not, that is fine as well. Either way, my questions get answered.

I have always said that whenever you write an article, book, give a session, or hold any sort of leadership post in a developer community, you are fair game for critisism. Folks that take the time to listen to you deserve the very best. They deserve to not have their time wasted. As far as I am concerned, FPA in many ways got taken away from the developer community. By means of coercsion is necessary, I am trying to get it back into the hands of the developer community it is supposed to serve. People pay Advsior to subscribe to FPA. Still more buy it from a newstand/bookstore. Those people deserve the best product possible. Clearly, they have not gotten that. So, who do you hold accountable, the people in charge.

So, while this may appear to be soley a personal issue between Tamar and myself, in reality, it is a bigger issue. I tried to make FPA a better magazine. It was clear they were not interested in change. It is also true that Tamar voiced quite a bit of outrage when she found out I was named a technical editor. It is also true that Tamar kept the Advisor folks informed of my activities on the UT, twisting the version of events to serve her own needs. Once I heard all of that was going on, I knew that the situation between FPA and myself was a situation that would not work out. In simple terms, I was not going to accept that fact that Advisor was going to "buy-in" to Tamar's tactics.

It is well known by several that Tamar has never cared for me or my approach. You might say that I never fit into here little "clique". She has always resented my presense at being a speaker at Devcon. The way I look at it, when a job needs to get done, you set personalities aside. Clearly, Tamar cannot do this. If you want to talk about getting personal, I would suggest starting with Tamar.

Ultimately, what happens now, I could care less. I have made my points, and for me, it is a dead issue. Hopefully, the rest of the development community has learned how things really work with FPA.

We all of the right to question the technical competence of the people that claim to be "gurus" in our community. And, in the spirit of fair play, you are free to turn the microscope on me....