>No, you're missing the point. The UT is not being critisized by anyone because it is a business. That would be stupid, and yes, funny as you say. The point is that the UT benefits financially by being designated the Official forum for Microsoft's uses, like the wishlist.
I don't think this is bringing additional business for us. Basically, it's good for us to have additional content as it increases in one spot all the content we can offer to the community. But, in regards to what it cost to put it all together, it'll take more than a few members to equal that expense. We agreed to did it when MS mentioned it was interested because we love our work and this community. But, a few memberships at 135.00$, assuming this extra content will help us to reach some, is not what would equal the investment we did to build and maintain it. So, as I have the numbers here, I can tell you that, in regards to revenues about it, we are loosing some not gaining some. But, as stated, we like to handle it because we can make it evolve and help to gear the VFP products to an exceptionnal product versions after versions as we have a good infrastructure to collect and make that data available in various formats for the best interest of VFP.
>And now Michel is "extremely sad" that noone wanted to promote the UT's services in the User Group Leader circle? Sorry, but I think its a valid opinion to hold. Especially because there are plenty of non-corporate ways of doing this, particularlly FoxCentral.NET, the Fox.Wikis, and the gajillion other resources that do not stand to gain financially (like Craig's personal website)
There is a lot of user group leaders who promote UT. You should verify your stats here. Otherwise, we'd just pull the plug on that content on the UT and remove all the extra components require to run the UGMT and related content.
As for the statement about other non profit sites that can help, there is always commercial advantages in most of those sites. If you look closely who is maintaining some of those sites, on which servers it run and who benefit of that to promote their consulting services, etc., you'll fall in the same pattern again. I have nothing against that. No one works for free here. Also, why would someone spend a few thousands dollars to maintain and host a site on a yearly basis if no gain could be taken from it. Again, nothing wrong here. But, that's just how the world is going. Sure there is personal motivation for doing some of that here and there for helping to make a good product being known, hold regular meetings with other developers to share on common topics, etc. But, in most of that, nobody will invest a fairly large amount of money if no benefit can be taken of. The fact that UT succeeds to run on its business, with several persons involved, is not a good reason for some people to slam against us. It was also my impression that if such a site would have been run by MS, nobody would have complained. So, some don't like it because we deviated the CIS community a few years ago, some others because we have the VFP wish list, some others because we have too much traffic, some others because we have too much power to build and react extremely fast to adjust our product based on some situations, etc. We're all ok with that but slamming against us because the site is commercial is something that is not relevant, IMHO, as we are surrending by thousands of companies wherever we go and this is what makes people live and put breads on the table.
