Erik,

>>The difference on this one, at least from my perspective, is that it is a MVP GURU who makes the suggestion. Whenever I suggested along these lines (too long ago to remember now) the GURU of the time all told me that I was dreaming and that MS had good reasons to keep quiet and generally spoke on behalf of MS without MS having to say a single word on the topic.
>>
>
>Awwww, li'l ol' me? A guru? :-) Shucks.
>
>Don't get me wrong. I realize that starting a practice like this could become shaky ground for MS, because they risk becoming accountable for any and all ERs made publicly. I can definitely empathize with any decision they make to keep quiet to avoid making premature 'announcements' as to upcoming features or strategies.

One of the historically difficult issues is exactly what you've suggested. When Fox Software or Microsoft would publicly discuss adding this or that there was a tendency for some people to leap to the presumption that because the feature was discussed that this meant absolute inclusion in the product. When this didn't happen they got pretty upset. Let's be candid... There are a lot of prima donna types out there who have fragile egos. Fortunately, I think most in the Fox community don't suffer fromthis as much as some others.

I'd also think that MSFT has to be very careful here in a legal sense so as not to convey a sort of contractually-bound promise. That is, and I'm sure no lawyer, the notion that because MSFT discussed something that this was the same as a formal committment.

My bet is that this is a tricky issue at best...