[Beth Melton]

Agreed.

We addressed customization concerns 18 months ago. At first, like you, many
were outraged. But quality feedback isn't telling someone "this stinks" -
that won't get you very far and it's honestly not a "discussion". A
discussion consists of knowledgeable, rational, and reasonable feedback,
along with offering suggestions instead of mere criticism. Quality feedback
goes something like, first complement an aspect you like, provide a problem
statement, and then offer a reasonable suggestion. (At least that's what
seems to work for me. ;-) ). We've offered numerous suggestions for the last
18 months and right now all we can do is wait. There have been hints but
nothing has been confirmed.

The only way to provide quality feedback and have a knowledgeable discussion
on any subject is to first understand what you're talking about and not make
quick assessments. I don't think making sure I have a full understanding of
a subject in order to provide quality feedback makes me a "mindless slave"
or a "Microsoft Lackey", I think it's called "knowing your enemy". grin
And typically, as you get to know your enemy, you discover along the way
that they are some qualities about your enemy that you like, but it doesn't
mean you love everything about your enemy, and you still address those
concerns every chance you get.

I think you'd have to agree that when all someone has to say are things such
as, "horrendous", "hideous catastrophe", "monstrosity", it sounds more like
Henny Penny -- someone who is running about in a crazed state yelling "Word
is coming to its demise! We must act quickly and swiftly to stop this
catastrophe!". It doesn't sound rational or reasonable - it certainly isn't
laying the groundwork for a rationale discussion.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

"Terry Farrell" wrote in message
...
Larry

We will always try to answer any questions: please don't think that we are
putting anyone on a blacklist.

The point we are making is not to agree or disagree with your dislike of
the new interface (you already know that I support many of your concerns),
but further arguments about the interface is not going to get us any
further. We need to progress with what we have.

Despite what others may think, MVPs are not Microsoft Lackeys worshipping
their every decision. Be assured that we raised concerns about lack of
legacy interface option, lack of ribbon customisation and a host of other
dislikes and concerns with MS.

Terry Farrell

"Larry" wrote in message
...


This has been very lively discussion. I thank LurfysMa for bravely
taking
my side against the massed might of the MVPs, though at the last moment
she
(and I assume from the name it's a she) seems to have changed her mind,
though maybe she's being ironic, on finding out that I still use Word 97.
But if she's not being ironic but means it, that's pretty funny, given
that
she herself uses Word 2000.

I want to point out that certain people in this thread, after saying they
had no intention of putting me down in personal terms or trying to
intimidate me away from speaking my mind, repeatedly used language about
me
that obviously had that intention.

Also, to act as if these groups exist for no other purpose than giving
and
receiving help, so that we cannot DISCUSS the software that is under
discussion, is not acceptable. I will continue to have questions about
Word
2007 (not for myself at the moment, but for someone I'm helping with it),
and along with those questions there inevitably arises the issue of Word
2007's horrendous interface and the costs resulting from the wholesale
destruction of the previous interface. For people just to accept the
2007
interface and never comment on it, would turn us into the mindless slaves
of
Microsoft.

Someone mentioned that the next version of Word may "pull back" a bit
from
the extreme dismantling of Word that was done in 2007. If that is true,
it
may have something to do with the ability that exists in these groups to
discuss Word, its good points and its bad points, frankly and freely.

I know certain MVPs disagree with me and disapprove of me on this issue,
but, as has already been said, if they feel that way, they can always
ignore
those posts of mine that they feel add nothing useful.

Larry