I don't think anyone will disagree that our thoughts can play a huge role in our emotions. One thing we have as human beings that sets us apart from every other species on the planet is self-awareness, the unique ability to analyze our thoughts and emotions and make adjustments to our behavior based on that self reflection. The following is for all the VB.NET developers who migrated to .NET from VB6 (or earlier versions). Close your eyes and imagine this scene in your head:
Years ago, say in 1998, you're at a conference, user group meeting, Microsoft launch event, DevDays, or some other gathering of developers. You're standing with 4 other VB6 developers talking about the latest new additions to VB6 and up walks someone to join the conversation. This person introduces him or herself as a Visual FoxPro developer. Now be honest, what are your initial thoughts, feelings, or impression of this person? You probably started feeling all superior because you use VB and they don't. Possibly someone in the group openly ridicules this person (jokingly of course they say) or questions their sanity or their intelligence. Why? It's very simple. Because you felt validated in your feelings of superiority because Microsoft actively catered to you and the VB community. All code samples coming out of Microsoft for business developers back then was in VB, VB had wonderful support from Microsoft and the third party ActiveX control vendors, conference sessions and demos were typically all done in VB, and Microsoft was fully entrenched in marketing support for VB. Of course you felt validated in your decision to code in VB, of course you felt like you had the community backing from Microsoft, of course you felt confident coding in VB6, how could you NOT feel emotionally comfortable with your decision to code in VB6?? Everyone who was anyone was coding in VB unless they were C++ junkies so why wouldn't you feel somewhat superior to someone coding in VFP?
You with me so far?
The truth of the matter is in many ways Visual FoxPro was a superior product to VB6. I don't say that lightly and I'm NOT trying to, and won't participate in a heated conversation comparing the merits of either product because that is NOT the focus of what I'm trying to say. I'll add that I have experience developing software in both products. Visual FoxPro has always and still does to this day support a full OOP model with full inheritance (much more so than VB6 ever came close to), dynamic language capability (sound familiar with all the current talk of the DLR?), a built-in and fully language integrated, extremely fast local data engine, a built in report writer, loosely typed variables (sound familiar with all the current talk of anonymous type support with LINQ?), an integrated ANSI-SQL compliant query language (sounds like LINQ to me, heck, where do you think the idea for LINQ came from?), easy connect-ability to SQL Server, an interactive command window to execute commands and manipulate data, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, of course VB6 had its technical strengths as well (much better COM support for example) but I don't think it was a better TECHCNICAL platform than VFP. It WAS though a better SUPPORTED and better MARKETED platform than VFP and that was what ultimately determined which product would succeed and which would not. I saw the writing on the wall and moved from VFP to .NET and VB.NET years ago. I'm not one of the bitter people who fought the change. I welcomed the opportunity to learn something new and expand my personal and business horizons. I'm happy being a VB.NET developer.
The problem now for VB.Net developers is that the shoe is on the other foot. Much like VB developers felt superior to VFP developers because of the items outlined in the imaginary scene a couple paragraphs above, today the C# developers feel superior to VB developers because of the perceived stronger or better support from Microsoft for their decision to code in C# (more samples, used by Microsoft in demos, etc.). Consider that when a baby brother or sister of an only child comes home from the hospital with Mom & Dad the new baby is going to get more attention. Unfortunately that is interpreted by the older sibling, the former only-child, as the parents loving the new baby more. I'm sure this couldn't be farther from the truth but the PERCEPTION by the older child IS real. I'm sure those of you with multiple children will agree that you love all your children equally but will acknowledge that sometimes one, but not always the same one mind you, gets preferential treatment over the others (just to be clear, I'm NOT saying that C# is the baby brother/sister to VB). The reality is that C# has some features that VB does not have and VB has some features that C# does not have.
I think one of the things that makes the VB community uncomfortable is the "shoe being on the other foot" feeling. It doesn't feel good NOT being the "favored son", the "golden child", the "IT" development community anymore does it? It's all about feelings... and don't make me go all Barbara Streisand on you! :-)
I say get a grip on your emotions and relax because in the end the thing that matters most is that VB isn't going away any time soon, if ever. Most people I talk with say they're more productive in VB and isn't that what it's all about? Agreed?
Have a day. :-|