I've had several people tell me that they think Microsoft should keep VB and C# running down the same road (as well as reading an old article in VSM). My response is always the same: Why? Why on earth would you want to force two different types of developers into one code model/language? The whole point of .NET, which seems to have been lost in the mix based on what I hear from a lot of developers, was to allow multiple languages to be able to work together within one solid platform. And, guess what: Microsoft has succeeded in that. Nobody ever said [to the best of my knowledge] that C# and VB were intended to be brothers. They're more like cousins...distant cousins. As a matter of fact, one grew up in a cubicle and the other grew up in a basement. They both may have the same forefathers, but they appeal to two totally different audiences with two totally different mindsets (for instance, check out X#) - one has a mouse, the other has ctrl and alt keys.
Of course, Microsoft had to simplify their initial release of .NET and merge the two efforts as much as possible - eaiser to get a solution out quicker. But, if you expected these two languages (or any .NET-supported language) to remain the same, you might want to fine-tune your business senses. Microsoft knows that C++ developers won't use VB...ever. So, they needed to appeal to those developers. And, not to mention, the VB developers that were stuck in the language based on ASP and a lack of time/patience to learn all that MFC had to offer. I know that I fell in that group. When .NET was released, I did everything I could to get into C#. I have never really liked the way VB syntax worked, and the way .NET has bastardized the near industry standard terms used for OO languages, that hasn't made it any better. But, let me get back to my point...
Whether you realize it or not, there are many different types of developers in the .NET world. C# and VB may cover the majority, but you have to realize where VB is coming from. It's in Microsoft's best interests to get VB back to that place, and to move C# to a level that is more “respectible” to long-time OO developers (whatever that means, since is a totally relative concept).
One of the funniest things is that the majority of these complaints and discussions start from a VB developer. I have never heard a C# developer complain about where the languages are going. The article I read kind of sparked my interest in this post, and as soon as I saw the complaining, I looked at a provided code sample, and...guess what...VB. I think that VB is a great language...for what it was intended to be for: business analysts. I do think that VB will always be a platform that enterprise applications can be developed on. But, you will never see me doing, or recommending that.
Know the road ahead. Know the developers. Know Microsoft. That is the only way you can stay two steps ahead in this game.