>Hi Nadya,
>
>This comment is a bit on the "defensive" side, but regardless how hard I try, I have a difficult time bringing myself to taking VB seriously. Basic was the first language I learnt, when I was just 14, and even though I did make one commercial app with GW-Basic when I was in college, I just can't consider it for anything but pranks and little trick programs.
>
>You could always answer the "such an old product.." with something like "Oh yeah, it's really great to develop with a tool that's so mature, rich, bugless, and fast while the rest of the world just play with java and vb."
>
>BTW, did you know that ink-jet technology and airbags are about 30 years old?
>
>Alex

Alex,

I beg to differ. I've been using VB for about 3 months now to build COM+ components for my ASP application (using a SQL Server database) and find it a formidable language and very robust development tool. I'm enjoying my work more than I have in years (especially since I'm building new apps for the web). When I was developing in VFP, the only projects I got was maintenance on old apps and involved delving into someone elses code hell. Don't get me wrong, VFP is a fine product but it just doesn't offer the same opportunities for a software developer today as VB-related skills.

At any rate, I'm very happy developing in VB/ASP/SQL for the meantime but I'm more concerned about the new .NET architecture changing the way I develop apps (for the worse). Time to learn it all over again (this time in C#)!

If .NET is cumbersome or doesn't really take off, then I'll have to abandon MS for J2EE - now THAT is where you'll find some respect!

Regards,

-JT