>I'm not so generous as you when it comes to "some isolated offices".

Well, you know me. I prefer to issue statements that I'm sure would include exceptions, assuming some of them are doing better jobs than others. :)

>It could just as easily be that these isolated offices are "pilot tests" and trials to learn how to accomplish .NET dominance through "community", eroding other communities in the process.
>I don't think that eroding other communities is necessary, but I feel it is quite possible that .NET marketers do.

I won't say that it comes from top. I believe that some are having too much power and they try to bring personal issues into this or any other actions that could encourage them to hurt someone/a company/a user group/any other organization that is trying to do something for the developer's community. Up to that point, yes, there is an issue here. I believe some situations being heard at Redmond would make some changes down to some local offices.