JVP >> This place like others, you have folks that blindly follow the advice of "gurus". I have always warned and advised against this sort of thing. The irony is that as you go up the scale of "gurudom" (getting to that ivory tower) - the less real-world stuff you see.

Again, an absolutely amazing statement by John Peterson.

The first sentence quoted above is clearly false. People come here for advice, but act on their own based in individual circumstance, not blindly. The only real blind activity going on here is by few people, such as yourself, who constantly offer broad strategic advice with zero knowledge of indiviual tactical situations and, in the specific case of you in this forum, nearly zero knowledge of the technology being discussed.

The second sentence is a blatant lie. Shame on you again.

The third sentence, the one about "the less real world stuff you see" is completely laughable. I talk face-to-face with dozens if not hundreds of developers each year and it's always about unique real-world design and implementation issues. Everytime I talk with other authors and speakers, (except you), it always seems to be about real world design and implementation issues. Everytime I drive or fly somewhere, it's to meet with people with interesting and diverse objectives and problems to study, analyze, and solve.

That's the view from here, at any rate.

It seems to me that if one stays home and admires the books and articles one has written in the past, and spends 90% of ones online time defending critically lambasted on-line views, then sure, it must seem like the less real world stuff one would see. I don't know. I'm guessing.

Oherwise, I wonder to whom specifically you are referring to when you knock so-called gurus. I can easily think of 20 (or 40!) solid "givers" in VFP community, people whom I consder gurus, good people, some are my heros, and none of them remotely resemble what you portray, or warn against. Which leads me to ask, whom, or what, the hell are you talking about?

**--** Steve