Technically, what VPA is doing is actually not intended by its owner, MS. So I think the term hack does apply. If it were an open source tool, then I would say it would not be a hack. Like others have said, the work 'hack' draws out negative connotations (for us developers). But consider other terms we hear like "Life hacks" that offer creative ways of using products for unexpected things.
But hack or not, all the points are valid. Someone modified binaries which we usually do not look at and which we probably would have a very hard time analyzing (since we do not have the source code of VFP itself). Also, folks have been using it without any reported incident of suspicious behavior. All it would take is one substantiated, repeatable report and that news would spread rapidly. And having worked for the gov, I have to add the usual paranoia regarding foreign entities creating something I would build on - especially if that something deals with "data". But again, here, this is not a foreign government providing something, it is an individual. Could his government storm his house, and take over his work? Sure, it's China - it's gov does that kind of thing - most communist nations do (our gov might do it in the future if we don't pay attention). But again, such things would probably get out quickly. Maybe he should work out a fail-safe, dead-man trigger or something so that we would know if such an event transpired. <g> Anyway, it is definitely interesting enough that I plan on working with it. I would love larger DBF capacities too, but I will not quibble. The guy is doing some amazing stuff. I hope he reaps big rewards from it somehow. -Charlie On Tue, Nov 26, 2019 at 11:07 AM Koen Piller <koen.pil...@gmail.com> wrote: > OK alright. My first impression on Alan's remark was a negative, meaning > negative in the sense of the product, like this product is a hack, it is no > good to use. Now meanwhile I have looked around and found on Wiki an > explication of 'hack' :* Hacking is finding applications that are not > intended by the creator of the resource, especially with regard to > computers. Complexity does not play a role here, on the contrary, easy and > fast alternative solutions are preferred. The use of a clothes peg to > prevent a trouser leg from coming between a bicycle chain is basically a > hack. "Normal" inventions and improvements are therefore not hacks, as long > as they are used for what they are made for.* > This makes me think Alan is not correct and I conclude VFPA is an > improvement. > Besides, the history of Alan's use: since 1991, I am proud to tell you I > was there before 1990, started with dBaseII jumped from dBaseIV to FoxPro > for DOS into now VFP9SP2. > Regards, > Koen > > > > Op di 26 nov. 2019 om 16:32 schreef MB Software Solutions, LLC < > mbsoftwaresoluti...@mbsoftwaresolutions.com>: > > > On 11/26/2019 4:26 AM, Alan Bourke wrote: > > > On Mon, 25 Nov 2019, at 5:39 PM, Koen Piller wrote: > > >> *my motto of the day: *Those who insist that VFPA is a hacked version > > >> of VFP9 have no knowledge of Visual FoxPro. > > > I've been working with FoxPro since 1991, so spare me your motto. This > > thing alters the binaries, and is therefore a hack in the classic sense > of > > the term. Having said that I'm sure it's all fine and legit, if anyone > > wants to take a gamble on it. > > > > > > > Yeah, Koen...Alan's been here a long time and is well respected. Any > > alteration as he says is truly a "hack" but the mere words are not meant > > to convey anything nefarious or illegal (although I restate my surprise > > at M$ not objecting...but as we said, it's not the ballmer era anymore). > > > > > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: https://mail.leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: https://mail.leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: https://leafe.com/archives This message: https://leafe.com/archives/byMID/CAJGvLx3XO4w6nL=k5qQSBwC4goYS4m5Ht=62nqzirktmd6c...@mail.gmail.com ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
