Thanks, for copying me on this. I was worried when you were a no-show yesterday. My shop had to actually work and find other means to keep us laughing.


>John...
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>This is going into personal territory. And for sure, this should not be made into a personal issue. For the record, I have never made the assertion that developers that don't learn other tools are "idiots". Yes, I have stated that it is a good idea. This is not a revolutionary concept. However, to construe that as calling people idiots for not following that advice is a gross mischaracterization of my comments.
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>With respect to this issue, I did not bring it into controversy. Another individual brought this issue to the Universal Thread by way of posting a message. That gives everybody the right to comment. There is no question that my comments are controversal. There is no question that many disagree with what I say. However, I can tell you that what I say is how I feel.
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>I happen to be of the opinion that Fox is not always the right choice. Further, I have taken it a step further to solidify that Feeling to say that at times, Fox is the wrong choice. I think I do that in an objective manner by sticking to the technical merits of the argument.
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>Somewhere along the way, I became labeled as this person who is "unfaithful to the community" and that I am "bashing the tool, bashing the community, etc.." I am merely stating my opinions. Like you, I have the right to do so. Again, I do my best to not get personal.
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>I agree that much of this is predicated on emotion. I honestly don't understand why this is an emotional issue. I do understand that some folks do view this in emotional terms. I do understand that some folks are their development tool. If you criticize the tool, you criticize the tool.
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>My goal in interjecting my opinions is not to bash on a personal level. Rather, my objective is to offer a different viewpoint. My opinion is neither right or wrong. It is just my opinion. It has as much or as little weight as you or others would like to specify.
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>Disagree with my points all you like. I would ask however that you and others keep the debate on the merits of the debate. In other words, don't embellish and don't stray into personal territory. When I say that for certain types of development, I don't think Fox is the right tool, I am not bashing the tool and further, I am not bashing the community. If you and others choose to view it that way, that is fine. That is your right. However, when you hold me accountable for the way in which you choose to interpret my comments, that is when you cross the line.
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>With me, what you see is what you get. I lay it all out there. I tend to be brutally honest at times. I do that so as to avoid ambiguity. I will not get in the mud with personal insults. I will not begin the process of stating mis-truths about what people have said. Most definitely, you should retract your statement about me calling folks in the Fox community idiots. If you recall John, you helped spread some rumors about me at New Orleans which you later recanted up here on the UT. I think it is time you did it again.
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>For others, if you don't like what I say, fine. If you wish to debate the issue on the merits, fine. Don't go down the road with arguments such as me being unfaithful to the community or that I am bashing the tool, etc. That has nothing to do with the merits of the issue.
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>In the present case, I don't see what was wrong with the letter that was sent. Many of you were deeply offended. I had an opposing viewpoint. Many of you do not agree with my view point. Yes, I think it is a highly irrational to take offense at the letter that was sent proposing the idea that old Fox apps could be migrated to SQL. It is a logical alternative. Does me calling the viewpoint irrational equate to me insulting people? I don't think it does. You may think it does. That is your opinion. It is one I don't agree with. Then again, you don't agree with me.
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>A question to ponder - Why do you have a right to disgree with me, yet I don't have the same right to disagree with you?
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>I understand the idea of a community. However, what a boring place it would be if everybody had the exact same opinon.
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>In your latest post, you state that you are here to preach the opposite. Is that your goal John, to be the opposite of what I preach? Do you know what my opinion is? Have you taken the time to really understand it? You have not asked me. Rather, you have made a lot of assumptions. The bottom line, if you are going to proclaim "preaching the opposite", you should know and understand what opposite is. And if you must prop yourself up at my expense, there is not much I can do to stop that.
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>Here is an interesting snip from your latest post:
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>VFP developers, IMHO, seem to have a much better grasp of the "big picture" than any other single-tool Visual Studio developer group. We know UI, we know n-tier, we know COM, we know web, and we know data physical structure. Your typical VB app is child's play to an accomplished VFP developer.
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>Just so I am clear, it is OK for VFP'ers to "bash" other tools, but it is not OK for others to "bash" VFP. There is a double standard I think. I infer from your opinion that your belief is that VFP'ers know everything and the rest of the world is made up of a bunch of neophytes, ignorant of what constitutes sound practices in the world of software development. I consider this to be a very short-sighted and arrogant view of the world. And no, that comment is not meant to be personal. Yet, you may take it as such. That is your right to do so.
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>You have your viewpoint and I have mine. And mine is just as valid as yours, and yours is just as valid as mine. The question then is how supportable a viewpoint is.
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>Perhaps I am the oddball here. Perhaps I don't "fit-in" anymore. For sure, I am taking a bad rap for a lot of things. Somewhere, I became the scapegoat for all that is wrong with the community. I don't think that is fair. However, I am not going to whine and complain about it either. I am mature enough to realize that when you are a person with controversal views, this is what happens.
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>FWIW, I like the heat. I will stay in the kitchen. John, the arrogant views your profess here are very misguided. The VFP'ers in this world don't have the only set of keys to the knowledge base. They are just as talented as anybody in the VFP community. And, at times, they are just as moronic. In both communities, you have folks that are very talented, and folks that are marginal, not so talented. Your elitest attitude is one that will not serve you well. And for sure, as far as THIS VB Developer is concerned, your comments most definitely do not apply.