>.Net is strategic, and does not yet have a community with breadth and depth. Two reasons for MS to "seed" .Net user groups.

Well, there is at least the same amount of .NET user groups than VFP and probably much more. So, their presence is well established and associations are also formed. And, this is what I am trying to know. Are those .NET user groups benefiting of that same priviledge or they are able to run on their own so as any other user group. If that is the case, then why in Montreal they have sponsorship by Microsoft?

>MS can do anything it wants with its US$40B in the bank. If they want to fund user group startups, fine. The only problem I have with what you have observed is if, indeed, MS is reducing VFP support to community/user groups while increasing .Net's. That is clearly unfair to VFP.

Add the Montreal Visual Basic User Group in here as well. My message was general and not only specific to VFP. This is why I wanted to bring it up. It's not only to VFP.

>It might also be argued that if such funding goes on long term (probably longer than 6 months, and certainly more than a year) then it is no longer "seeding", it's increased support. In a perfect world it would be nice if such VFP support could also be proportionally increased, but again, MS is under no obligation to do so.

Well, the feeling we have presently with the Montreal office is that they are about to destroy some communities that practically saved their office. A lot of developers got involved in forming user groups for helping MS products to be known in the region and that also has contributed to keep the Montreal office in a better position as the response of this local community is quite strong here. So, someone came and forgot to say thanks I guess.