filePro Programmer shortage

[Mike Schwartz (PC Support & Services, Appleton, WI)]

On Thu, February 24, 2005 13:15, J. Ryan Kelley said:
> I don't think that a shortage of filepro programmers is really a problem.
> I
> think anyone with any programming background can pick up on filepro and be
> a
> pretty capable programmer over the course of a few months.  I had never
> heard of filepro 5 months ago, I'm fresh out of WVU with an education in
> computer science where almost all of the emphasis was on C/C++ along with
> lab sciences and math.  I've been working with filepro for around 4 months
> now and feel very comfortable with it.  I was doing basic programming
> about
> an hour into my first day.  As long as the new programmer has someone well
> learned in filepro teaching/mentoring them, I believe that anyone who is a
> programmer could easily become well versed in filepro.
> Ryan

     I certainly agree.  I was just on the phone with Bud Henschen from
fPtech, and we were discussing the shortage of filePro programmers. 
I told him that not everybody can pick up filePro on their own as
easily as you seemed to have.  Or did you have somebody tutoring you?

     Anyway, with only a couple of exceptions, like Stuart Werners classes
and filePro reference book, there aren't a lot of training options
available when we introduce a new persion to filePro.  I know that
it's probably a matter of time and money to develop these materials. 
I'm quite sure those who are doing any filePro training, like myself
and Stuart, aren't getting rich doing the training.  But it's kind of
tough walking into a bookstore and seeing 25 books, videos and DVD's
written at all levels to teach people Oracle, for example, and having
almost nothing available on filePro (especially videos and DVD's).

-- 
Mike Schwartz
PC Support & Services
3650 N Suncrest Lane
Appleton, WI 54914