>>Here are some specific references:
>>
>>http://www.microsoft.com/directaccess/
>>http://www.microsoft.com/partner/Partnering/Certified/
>>http://www.microsoft.com/partner/Help/newslettersubscriptions/
>>
>>The conspicuous absence of VFP from the barrage of these newsletters I receive on a weekly basis is not only a wasted opportunity, but that persistent pattern over the years has contributed more than anything else to the perception that something is seriously wrong with Microsoft's attitude toward FoxPro.
>
>You really need to understand that Microsoft's revenue for VFP does not even come close to the revenue of other products, and the amount of time and money spent in these areas doesn't always result in revenue in return. It is not a conspirosy, and when you accuse Microsoft of someone intentionally not talking about VFP only contributes to the perception problems. There will be continued increases the diversity of where VFP is mentioned and included in summaries sent out, but don't expect some kind of dramatic changes. It would greatly help if you would turn your time and energy towards FoxPro developers who have yet to upgrade to VFP 7.0 and try to convince them it to upgrade today.

Here is how the Microsoft Certified Partner Program describes itself:

"The Microsoft® Certified Partner Program is for independent companies that provide Microsoft-based IT services and products to corporate, government and small- or medium-sized businesses. As one of the most important resources in providing Microsoft solutions to customers worldwide, Microsoft Certified Partners encompass a broad range of technical expertise and vendor affiliations, and have experience ranging from networking, e-commerce, collaboration, business intelligence, and other leading edge disciplines."

You may find it easier to measure the sales of VFP 7.0 upgrades, but there's hardly any doubt that references in such newsletters are far more significant to the broader perception of VFP. The absence of those references has not gone unnoticed. Every day, FoxPro jobs are disappearing because corporate decision makers are concluding, rightly or wrongly, that Microsoft still lacks a genuine commitment to VFP. Yes, the Ballmer video is an impressive rebuttal, but not if Microsoft displays a reluctance to mention it more conspicously. Over-emphasis on upgrades and confinement of promotional messages within the FoxPro community falls short as a marketing strategy. Excuse me for quoting myself, but "an animal that feeds on itself cannot survive."

Doesn't VFP deserve a place in these widely circulated newsletters? Even a single mention would be a dramatic change, Ken. Why pass up on a golden opportunity to give the Ballmer video much wider exposure, before it and the release of VFP7 become old news? Perhaps then you wouldn't have to spend quite so much time personally correcting people's misconceptions about the future of VFP, one at a time.

Mike