Redefine?

I don't think so. The target market was never really reached to begin with.

The market reached has been the already established user base. So with that strategy it's only normal that you'll lose some developers from one version to the other. And if you continue with that nonsense marketing eventually there won't be a next version.

But anyway there's probably no need to keep argumenting on that topic. MS wants to keep the user base already established for as long as possible. As long as that user base does'nt shrink too much then that user base will justify the release of new versions. That's it and we can't do nothing about it. VFP9 is coming. That one is a given. After that who knows, who really cares now... besides the community <g>


>So, what you're asking is that Microsoft redefine the target market for VFP to be new developers. That's not going to happen.
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>>LOL OK let's do that again
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>>First the concept of COMMUNITY needs to disappear for proper marketing.
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>>There is a community. I know it you know it and MS knows it. There's a big chance that the active members of that community are fully aware of what's going on in the VFP world.
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>>If I :
>>- Buy FoxPro Advisor
>>- Buy FoxTalk
>>- am a member of the UT
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>>MS is wasting its money if I'm in their mailing list. I don't want information on VFP.
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>>They should redirect that mailing to potential NEW developers.
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>>That kind of marketing should'nt be hard.
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>>1) Identify the market VFP's in. If you feel like replying that VFP is in a market where there is no competition then it's even better. Who would ever dream to be alone in a given market.
>>2) Identify the competition.
>>3) Tell the potential buyers what makes VFP a better product then that competition.
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>>That should have been made what seems to be light-years ago. It's probably too late for that. In fact it can't be done because of all the attention that's given to .net
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>>Imagine if (extremely improbable) that MS decides to do some real marketing on VFP9. Even comparing it to .Net
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>>They would'nt have a choice of comparing it to VS.Net because perhaps they're losing some developers that thinks that VS.Net is overkill for the apps they need to develop for mom and pops shops. In that case those developers could stay in MS camps because of VFP.
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>>Probable reaction from developers. "What the heck is that? Why did'nt they advertise VFP before? Is it because that version is really that good or is it because .Net is not what it was advertised to be and they want to get us on something else made by them. What the heck is going on here?"
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