Bruce,
>...But the web movement clearly is not going to move anywhere near as fast as was thought only a year ago. That's where my skepticism hits the pinnacle on .NET, not the technical or theoretical factors - I think it's in a good direction as to these aspects from all I've heard. I think the timing of .NET is bad, mainly, and that was no one's fault, impossible to anticipate.
Maybe the big Dot-COM movement has crashed, but I still think there's lots of demand for putting apps on the web, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. .NET may not end up being the best tool for them, however, compared to the ease of developing with Web Connection, FoxWeb, AFP, etc.