Well said.

>>JVP doesn't argue, he debates.
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>I am proud of this. This is a timely topic in more ways than you could imagine....< bg >....
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>I think debating technical issues is important. The problem is where is the line between what is argumentative/personal as opposed to a pure debate on technical issues. I think the line is very very fine, perhaps as thin as a razor's edge.
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>A good example is this... My constitutional law professor just did a segment of Justice Talks - a weekly radio show on NPR (www.justicetalking.org). She debated on behalf of gays/lesbians and women being able to serve freely/anywhere in the military. Her opponent in the debate is in favor of the status quo. My professor's name is Elizabeth Hillman and the show will be on NPR (Monday nights 10:00 PM EST) in the next few weeks. The issues got heated, and both sides were very passionate about their positions. That is what advocacy is all about. When it was all said and done, despite some heated exchanges, in the end, they respected each other's opinion, shook hands, and moved on.
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>I see my role as a trail-blazer of sorts, to go out on a limb, and take a stand on a position. As you know, when I advocate, I advocate hard and yes, sometimes aggresively. Folks come up here looking for answers. Sometimes, the answers are easy. Sometimes, they are hard to come by. Sometimes, the answers can only be determined though a "town hall meeting" The latest RV vs. SPT debate is a good example. While I don't agree with the technical merits, I do respect the other side of the issue. In the end, I think that thread, as far as its technical content is concerned, is some of the best the UT has seen in a long time. It is a timely topic as people are faced with 1: whether to go with RV's or 2: they went with RV's and need to go to SPT. I am sure there are other issues, but these two come to mind.
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>Other issues I believe in: opening up the speaker ranks to new and fresh blood. I have long thought that the speaker arena was perceived as a cloistered/elitest group of people - me included. I am glad to see that the norm in this community is to know solicit any and all proposals from the community instead of the old (by invitation only policy). 3 years ago, when I was on a big kick about augmenting one's toolset with VB/ADO, I took a lot of flack for that... And, I believed the quality of FPA was so bad, somebody needed to pipe up, and pipe up loud about it. While I am happy with the ends of that issue, I am not happy about a lot of the paricular means that were used in that issue. There is no doubt that if I could some things differently, I would.
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>Most of all, I believe in Visual FoxPro. I believe in the tool, what it can do, and why it has a rightful place next to .Net. I believe in VB 6 as well and that tool too has a place and a certain need.
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>One other thing: I believe that people should not whine about the product getting dissed. People should face reality, Visual FoxPro is the MUTT of dog breeds. When push comes to shove, I want the mutt. The mutt is loyal and trustworthy. The mutt will defend his master, to the death if necessary. Most of all, the mutt is reliable. I for one like being part of the few, the proud, and the damned! As you know, I don't take crap from inside, or outside of this community for that matter. When it comes to advocacy, I fight for VFP, both from within and outside. Hopefully, in the very near future, you will find out just how true this is....People that complain IMO, could use that energy to write a magazine article for FPA, FoxTalk, UT, Code, or whomever. Spirited technical debates strength a community, they don't weaken it...
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>At the same time, I know I have my detractors. I accept it and have no choice but to move forward in spite of that. In spite of what some people may say, In the end, I know that what I do benefits this community.
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>I try very hard to stay out of the gutter and out of personal issues. I try very hard to stay on point. I think I am a lot better at it than I was 2 years ago. I still have some ground to cover. In the latest RV vs SPT discussion, there was some spirted jousting going on that I wish had not occurred. I am not sure that you can get away from it entirely. But, I am trying.
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>This is a long-winded way of saying that for the most part, I won't change. However, I will try my best to stay away from the catty bickering that goes on at times. But, if there is a time when somebody takes offense at what I say, please....take time to direct my attention to that. At all times, I will address the issue in an appropriate manner that is respectful of the person lodging the complaint. If OTOH, it is simply slinging mud back my way, I will most likely ignore that; eventhough my nature is to respond.
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>Cindy... I bet you did not expect a response like this!! < bg >
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>Regards,