SNIP

Tom,
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>I like your use of the word "charitably". That is indeed a fine word to use to describe what you mean. You are indeed kind. I would choose a different word or perhaps several to describe how I feel towards such a concept.
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>This entire thing about placing .NET on VFP makes me ill. It reminds me of a salesman – any salesman in my book. A good salesman will sell his mothers soul numerous times, to “book the sale”! Can you tell I despise salespersons? Also I despise subterfuge and lies. Honesty is the only policy in my book. Trying to “get in on the action” of what .NET marketing has to offer is absurd!

I was having these same kinds of feelings on the issue, growing stronger after I cast my (yes) vote.
I must say that BobA's suggestion of "Visual FoxPro for .NET" really made the whole thing much more palatable to me. It takes it out of the realm of "subterfuge and lies" as you so aptly put it, at least in my eyes.

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>We have to be honest with our development community and ourselves. Do your best with what you have and do not worry about what .NET has to offer. Rather, you should join the .NET development strategy if it interests you and continue using VFP or whatever development tools you prefer.

Yes, honesty in the community is paramount. And EdR noted, very aptly, that we are developers and not marketers.
And I admit too that it is awfully hard to consistently ignore the oft-repeated woes that being outside of .NET has cost developers contracts. Lots of them!
I know that I continue to be concerned at the shrinkage of the VFP community and that I desperately want MS to do something to try to GROW it.
Calling it "Visual FoxPro for .NET" is truthful, I think, and does give us the benefit of the coattails of the .NET marketing effort.
I will be interested to see how "compliant" OFFICE.NET turns out to be. Maybe it will be more deserving of a name like "...for .NET" as well.

Thanks Tom.


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>Next someone will suggest we should put IBM on the VFP package to get Big Blue behind our efforts. SAP would look good too!
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>Tom