>This comes outta the "Further VFP Dissing" thread...Craig's post about a "niche" product put a fire under me :-) Agree or disagree with the following:
>
>We (VFP developers) don't want a niche product as long as we're the ones who have to expend all of the effort to define that niche. It's not fair to us as, for the most part, team players in Microsoft's DNA scheme to be classified as such.
>
>We understand that VFP must work and play well with others. We don't mind using VFP as middleware in a 3-tier solution; we don't mind creating COM Servers for VB apps.
>
>We need Microsoft to support us. I think we've hung in there a long time with little or no market support or press release support or white paper support. Microsoft needs to strongly define a role for VFP and vocally support that role. If Microsoft really wants to kill VFP then they should be honest about that and kill it.
>
>Some people say the VFP is in the coffin already and I guess that makes Tahoe a gilded, bronzed coffin. I don't believe it; but it'd sure be nice for the product owners to support that belief.

--------------------------
John emailed directly on this. His email and my reply follow:

-----Original Message-----
From: John Koziol
To: craigb@xmission.com
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 1998 10:42 PM
Subject: VFP stuff


Craig....I have to admire your perseverance in trying to convince MS to support VFP. I just read your reply to that guy in Uruguay. Don't you wish, however, that MS just once would come out with something splashy that would mention VFP in a role within Vis Studio or as a valuable tool in some other regard? I do....read my "VFP Developers Manifesto" thread I posted yesterday.

Here's my reply:

They have said it...time and time again. Look at the VFP Strategy Backgrounder, http://www.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/prodinfo/background/vfpbgrnd.htm,
the Open Letter to the FoxPro Community
http://www.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/prodinfo/tovfpcom.htm
or Response to Negative Reports on Visual FoxPro
http://www.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/prodinfo/response.htm

If you attended DevCon last year, you heard a Microsoft VP state that VFP is a strategic product. I suggest you get the video, The Power of Visual FoxPro II. http://www.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/prodinfo/video/video.htm His comments from DevCon are on the video, as well as success stories of using VFP.

Robert Green is doing a great job of promoting VFP. Remember that LOTS of things he is doing are not visible to us because they are internal at Microsoft. I have talked to Microsoft sales people in both Denver and Salt Lake City about using VFP and none of them have said anything negative....they have all been very supportive.

We also need to keep in mind a few things. I've also noted things I've done to help in some of these areas.

1. IT Managers hear that VB is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The MS Sales staff will tell them this too because they want to make the sale.
2. Most MS Sales people don't know how to demo VFP...they know VB. This isn't because VFP is going away. It's because they demo VB over and over.
3. My local MS sales people have discussed VFP with clients. Why? Because I've talked to them. I've told them about our VFP User Group and that there are great resources to help VFP developers in Salt Lake City. These same sales people are on the user group email list and get a reminder of the meetings. This keeps VFP in the front of them.
4. I've attended MS Sales/Training seminars that have been held locally. Some of these are lead by MS staff, some by ATEC staff. I always discuss VFP with them. In one case, the person leading the session ( A MS Employee) openly talked about VFP -- and in a very good light. That happened before I talked to him. At another, led by an ATEC consultant/instructor, he told me that he is learning VFP -- not to teach it-- but because it is a great tool.
5. I am in the process of planning a VFP presentation for local MS Solution Providers. This is in conjunction with the local MS Sales office. You should contact your local sales office and do the same thing. This presentation will not say "VB sucks". It will show the strengths of VFP and explain why they should use it instead of other products for database applications.

So, am I saying that we need to carry the load alone? No. Am I saying that Microsoft can do more? Yes. Am I saying that Microsoft should do more? Yes. However...we have to do some of the footwork too. Look at EVERY Visual Studio ad. VFP is mentioned. Does MS do VFP specific advertising? Yes! I've seen ads in InfoWorld, PCWeek, and others. Take a look at the MSDN pages. http://www.microsoft.com/msdn. VFP is there....supported with the other Visual Studio products.

Microsoft is and does support us. Look at DevCon. Several days devoted just to VFP. How many other Microsoft products have a conference devoted just to it? (Not many) This conference is a HUGE undertaking....and I'm willing to bet that Microsoft doesn't make money on it. If you are there, you need to take time to talk to the MS VFP team that will be there. You should see their passion for the product. It is amazing to talk to people like Susan Graham, Ken Levy, Calvin Hsia, and others. You will come away thinking that these people, the product owners, support the belief that VFP is the best database tool available...and that it's future is secure.

I think its time we look at where VFP was at the time VFP 3.0 was released and where it is today....and recognize the accomplishments made by the VFP Marketing team....and stop complaining about what we see as a lack of effort on their part. VFP is here now....and will be here in the future.

Craig Berntson
MCSD, Microsoft .Net MVP, Grape City Community Influencer