Alister Jones ask to Microsoft: Is Whidbey over complicated ?

This is surely the most exciting and deep debate I ever read on Whidbey. Alister really you got the right angle. The critics are positive, and I fully share your comments.

It's so well written that I decided to keep your questions and answers by Bertrand Le Roy as an article on this blog.

The only difference I have with you, is that I played a bit with a Whidbey preview, and yes I share the same feelings (and some pain).

I don't consider myself as a guru, more an intermediate developer and yes I found some aspects of Whidbey over complicated.

The Masterpage system is surely one of my most important concern, because like you I use Metabuilders templating system today, and I don't really understand all the fuss about the new system.

I share also with you this feeling that most examples today you can find in many articles pin point on the details, but not on the big picture.
As you say so well in your comments, the fact that you can now flatten an n-tier architecture by embedding the SQL queries in the presentation layer, is apparently shown by Microsoft developers as just another option.Unfortunatly guys, if you offer this option to newbies (or lazy developers :-)), you surely going to make this as a de facto model.

I think it's time now that all developers as a community, engage a real debate with Microsoft. Well the blogging idea is there now, and more than 600 Microsoft bloggers should surely help on the matter.

Alister, you said as a conclusion you wish a larger audience for your post, here we go now ! I suggest also that you open urgently a blog somewhere.