Heya Fernando - one thing -
>
>What seems confusing to me, as I refered above, is that we all should promote VFP (be it externally, be it to our forum coleages), talking about its strenghts, purchasing the new versions etc. That's what I think Microsoft expects from us, otherwise there will be no VFP in the future. Am I wrong?

No - you are not wrong.
Alas, for the VFP community - MS stopped marketing it to the 'other' developer communities when version 6 was released - and adopted a 'we will market future product and upgrades to existing VFP developers.

For Version 5 - man o man - there was a real marketing campaign.

Ads in InfoWorld touting Version 5, complete with a web site and toll free number.

Call the toll free number, ask about VFP, and if you asked for it - you could recieve the names and numbers of 5 developers IN YOUR AREA [at least here in the states] that used VFP.

Ask another question, like - where can I buy it? And you would receive up to 5 names of MS resellers / partners in your area.
[my opinion follows]
Those days are LONG GONE - but the infrastructure for MS to support that type of marketing campaign is abolutely trivial - yet they pulled it.
It was never a 'money' issue for them - it's always been a 'perception' issue . What did MS want to push ? VFP was not included in 'that' push - so NO marketing funds were allocated, and the Evangelists were NOT TRAINED to talk about VFP at all.

but ? don't despair - way back in 99 I noticed this trend for zero-marketing, and I'm still not letting it 'get to me'.

warmest regards [Bill]