Proxies are in fact very useful and should almost always be used when the key field of the table is Record ID#. The exception might be if you are using the [Record ID#] field as the number wheel for say an auto generated Order# or Quote#.
The purpose of the Proxy field is that you use it on forms for data entry.
In Edit/ Add mode it will behave as Related Parent so you can select the [Record ID#] of the Parent, but then in view mode, you do not want to expose the meaningless record ID# to the user, so in view mode the proxy field automatically would display Parent Name if that was set as the proxy field for [Related Parent].
You van do this manually on the form by having related parent show in =edit / add and [Parent name] show in view mode, that is clunky and extra steps to se up. It can also mess you up in Grid Edit to need to expose the [Record ID] to the users.
