Monday, April 21, 2008

MVP Summit: The Fox Team

The MVP Summit completely exceeded my expectations for many reasons, but mostly because of my interaction with the other VFP MVPs and the Fox Team. Microsoft did not schedule a single session for the VFP MVPs so we decide to make our own. I learned several things and felt the trip was well worth the time and cost. I had to work at night to keep up with the project schedules so it really was an exhausting week.

There is one thing I want to address publicly that I feel is important. I have been reading many comments in the community on how the Fox Team has been disbanded and how they have gone their own separate ways. How they have abandoned our favorite developer tool and our community. Yes, this is partly true. Each of the developers, the testers, the management, the Help file folks, and the marketing team (no jokes please {g}) have all gone on to do great things in some other part of Microsoft and the entire team is not working full time on Visual FoxPro. This is part of growing as individuals and making moves in one's career.

But one thing I realized and something that should have been very apparent to me all along is this small group is still the Fox Team no matter where they go and no matter what other projects they work on. The group as a whole and individually have been smacked with a virtual baseball bat over the last year, yet they still managed to correct the Help file's missing index items and correct an annoying bug in the reporting system. I think this says a lot about the individuals involved. They listened intently with an open mind to the bugs/issues in SP2, and have left open the door to improve the SP2 experience and its adoptability by FoxPro developers. They all showed up for the product team dinner including Fox Team members from the past who long ago moved on to something new. Even someone who was on vacation and may have wanted to celebrate a birthday with the family came to spend time with us. Any one of them could have spent the time with their product groups, but choose to come to ours.

My hat goes off to the entire Fox Team and their dedication to Visual FoxPro and the Fox Community. Thanks for your efforts.

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3 Comments:

At 4/22/2008 09:08:00 AM, Blogger Cathy Pountney said...

I echo what Rick said 100%. People can bash MSFT as a company and get angry all they want .. but the individuals who made up the Fox Team are just as passionate about the Fox as I am. I spent 6 months working as a contract with the team in Redmond and made friendshipos that will last a lifetime!

 
At 4/22/2008 09:09:00 PM, Anonymous Michael Babcock said...

I don't believe that people felt the Fox team was ever the problem, but instead the non-Fox "powers to be" above them. Had the Fox team been allowed to do what they had wanted, who knows where we'd be. It's like those go-carts you race on at the local fun/amusement center...the engines could go much faster and kick butt, but the governor switches installed on their motors prevents them from greatness on the track. ;-)

The Fox team members, wherever they are today supporting M$'s latest developer offering, certainly are admired by most in the Fox community. It's the "governors" above them who may not be. But bitching about that is a waste of time. We should simply step up and embrance SP2 and take M$ up on its offers to help additionally if necessary....but that's not gonna happen if hardly anyone upgrades to VFP9 SP2. Don't let the ignorance of some limit your choices. VFP9 is absolutely the best VFP imo, and the statement by M$ to consider additional improvements "to make things right" is good.

 
At 5/08/2008 01:51:00 AM, Blogger Gonzo said...

Michael, you're right, the former Fox Team member are just as passionate as always. Many of us, though, are no long with MS but are still huge advocates. Don't put Randy, Stew, or myself out to pasture just yet :-)

 

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