I'm also a programmer and a consultant. I agree with you that good software developers can learn new languages swiftly. I also agree that the focus should be on programmers who understand and apply abstract programming concepts to new technology.
The people doing the hiring don't think this way. That's why many programmers find it difficult to get a job outside of their core languages.
The reality is that interviewers (the people making the requirements in job ads) are the people who get you hired unless you already have friends who can get you through the door and they want x years in y language no matter how good you are at learning new concepts. It's crazy but it's real.
In the real world there is no seperation between what programming languages you use and the politcs and emotions associated with them. And for this reason I believe that you've made a very strong case for why Vista needs to be ported.
The human aspect (political, emotional, and perceptions) is what I believe will evetually hurt Vista in the long run. As you said earlier, this epiphenonema can mean the life or death of a project.
If this project is ported, it can garner the support of many developers and organizations. Perhaps companies like IBM, Novell, Microsoft, Borland, Oracle and others will create products and services for Vista that will make it more viable and attractive to developers and physicians.
A fellow developer,
Alfred Smith
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