> But I don't think an organization would need to hire 10 to 20 people
> to kill Firebird- I suspect they'd only need to get 3-8 core people.

I challenge you: name the 5 individuals that, if taken out, would stop
the community dead in its tracks.

There is more to consider. Restarting now would much easier than back
in 2000. There are working builds, books, newsgroups with thousands of
posts, tens (if not hundreds) of people with at least partial
understanding of the core engine, etc.

Also, not everybody may be easy to hire. Hiring Ann away from MySQL,
Sean from Broadview and me from Janus would probably require amazing
amounts of money. It would not be worth it.

Last but not least, what would be the use? How would DevCo, or anybody
else, be better of with a wounded community? Even MySQL these days has
a vested interest in our community succeeding. The only people who
would benefit would be MS, as far as I can see.