A glorified help file...that is a good way to put it... As a reference guide, I happen to think it is good for somebody who is getting started. Once you know waht is going on, no doubt the reliance on the HG goes down..
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No, I knew it wasn't a simple question. I asked because I know a lot of VFP'ers consider the Hacker's Guide (at least the 3.0 HG) to be the VFP bible of sorts. I guess I view it as a glorified help file with some additional tips but I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking to get started in VFP or an advanced VFP developer for that matter. I guess it's more of a reference than anything else.

To me, the measure of ones real worth and real expertise can be measured to the extent they do real production work for clients on a large scale. Little po-dunk applications don't cut it. And, as much as I believe in the spirt of volunteerism and community involvement, applications written for gratis, for non-profit orgs don't cut it either. I only say this because those apps rarely have the scope required to really push the product to it's limits. Too often, I have asked Tamar for her opinion on stuff here, and always, ignores the question. I can only come to one conclusion that she does not engage in real work. Rather, all of this is nothing more than side-work, a hobby if you will, to her. So, with that in mind, while I agree with your assessment of Ted, I cannot agree with your assessment of Tamar. Tamar's knowledge comes from repeated readings of the help docs and tinkering with the syntax. Building apps is quite another thing. Next time you see her in a session, ask her what she has done. I think she would be hard-pressed to give you an answer...

As far as FPA being too small and wanting it to be like VBPJ - here are my comments

Number 1:

Paid Circulation of VBPJ - 125,000
Paid Circulation of FPA - 8,000

Conclusion - Ain't gonna happen....

Number 2:

The organizations are completely different. Fawcette is a truly professional company. They know what it takes to build successful magazine. Advisor on the other hand, is engaged in little more than amatuer hour. Look at the crap that continually spews out of that organization and ask why they refuse to change the status quo. Folks like Miriam and Tamar are still involved. Why is that? Tamar single handedly ran that magazine - into the ground that is - over the past 6 + years. And old saying comes to mind, those who cannot learn from the mistakes of the past, are condemned to repeat those mistakes in the future..