>> In the aggregate, this "niche" is WAY down from where it was 5 years ago. If you don't see that, then you are blind.

That's absolute, total, unsubstantiated nonsense! Less than six years ago we were launching VFP 5. Five years ago this community was still ultra Win-16 based and I recall the big issue of Devcon 8 was moving people off VFP 3 to VFP 5. If you honestly think that this niche is worse off either in a business sense or in a technical sense then the days when we were getting over the last Win 16 version of VFP, then you're fare more hopless a soggy thinker than even I ever imagined.

Maybe it's way down for you (and frankly, in your case, I'm not the least surprised. Get used to it Joe Bob). I also know it's down for some, but it's up for others and way up for others still.

Is the overall level of business down? I think yes. Is it worse for VFP than for other environments, or worse for VFP than industry average? I see zero evidence of this.

I believe this niche is holding its own. Everywhere I look I see evidence of this.

1) Demand, especially for developers at the lower end, is always very regional and very transient. This effect is not to be generalized and confused with overall demand.

2) Demand at at the "ostracized lunatic fringe" end, where you are, is never good and maybe you're simply projecting your own misfortunes (and the misfortunes of some of those associated with you) upon others. Roughly each week, even in the dog days of summer, I get a call from someone with a major VFP project somewhere in the world. For others, like yourself for example, I can fully understand why these calls never come.

3) Conference-wise, when we actually measure it, I don't see any downturn, or anything out of the ordinary given the background business cycles. See http://fox.wikis.com/wc.dll?Wiki~VFPConferenceAttendance, this despite the proliferation of conferences of all sorts.

4) Other indicators, such as aggregate forum message volumes, is not down despite the proliferation of forums.

5) Aggregate numbers of magazine sales is not down, none have folded, despite the increasing volume excellent quality and free internet content. Considering the folding and the renaming / rebranding of publications in other segments, what does that say about the stability and viability and commercial vitality of the VFP segment?

6) The numbers of third-party VFP vendors is not decreasing, and they are still advertising, sponsoring conferences, buying booths, creating new versions, etc, this despite the proliferation of areas and layers into which VFP is being used these days.

7) Admittedly it's not all rosy, but it's not bleak either. It's 2002, 24 months since the greatest high tech bubble burst in history, 10 months since September freaking 11th. Nothing's rosy. The only thing that's rosy, in my view, is that I can now get one degree of separation between me and my users/suppliers/customers.

8) Moreover, when I attend a VFP user group meeting where those seeking work outnumber those offering work, I'll let you know. It hasn't happened to me yet. I suggest that your "reports from various user groups" that you mention in a prior message is just another joebobism, a fabrication.

Also, for your information, I know a some really excellent PowerBuilder developers, and that's a great niche. You can actually get proven tools for PowerBuilder, and the average PowerBuilder consultant has five more years and several more deployed projects than does anyone in the .NET world. Another great thing about the PowerBuilder niche is hordes of gullible people (developers and customers) aren't blindly flocking to it in droves. So don't go blindly smacking PowerBuilder, because clearly you don't have a clue.

In short, I think you're the one in need of a reality-based reset.

**--** Steve


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>Is this particular niche better or worse than most others? I see no objective evidence of this one way or another.
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>Then you are blind...
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>Moreover just like almost everything else, software developers in all areas are affected by the underlying business and investment cycles that, despite what you may believe, are not much better or worse insulated by the choice of what particular technology to study or use next.
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>Affected yes...but in different degrees....
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>In the aggregate, this "niche" is WAY down from where it was 5 years ago. If you don't see that, then you are blind. Then again, you may be one of the few that has not been adversly affected by the decline in available Fox work. Perhaps you have had at least one fat project in the past year or so???? You know, if you look hard enough, you can find PowerBuilder niches too...