[Graham Mayor]

Having waded through that diatribe (obviously I have too much time on my
hands) it appears that your rant boils down to an issue covered at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting...eformatted.htm

--

Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org


L. a. wrote:
Apologies to all for sending in my 2 cents on this a year later, but
I just stumbled across it!

I am no where near the skill level of word hater or anyone else who
wrote in, but I must agree with Word Haters basic point, of why
should one have to spend time with outside resources to learn how to
do something that should be explained within Word's help section to
begin with?

Having to do that does make me crazy! Aside from taking the time in
advance to learn how to use Word correctly, as was said, I suspect to
get that learning would take a significant block of time, that most
workers (especially under a deadline) don't have the time to spend.
And even if they did, what is the likelihood that the particular
problem they are having would be addressed? And still, IF that topic
is addressed, does it allow for any type of troubleshooting?
Everyone knows that you can follow the "how to's" perfectly and still
have errors.

In my current work using Word a lot, I have run across several
instances where my formatting (as example) does not work the way WORD
instructs and says what the results will be. This makes me extremely
exasperated as I waste too much time trying to figure out on my own
what I did wrong. When I finally give up and consult outside sources,
such as this site, I HAVE been able to progress with the answers I
have received. (MOST of the time.) Still, I can't help but reflect
on what Word Hater's point is. The responses received tell you the
"unspoken" detail that is needed to accomplish your work. If WORD
cannot provide those little "oh by the way - in order to do what you
really want, you have to do this" then how is one to use WORD without
reaching a point of hating it, simply because of the frustration?

In honesty, I love WORD and will use this only. BUT - when I am
needing to crank out some serious docs, the problems I come across,
page numbering, styles, headers and footers, etc. just trigger my
buttons. Not to mention not being able to submit my work in the
pre-set time frame, as I did not anticipate having these dumb
problems to begin with. Many times I have spent more time in finding
the answer to my problem than I have spent in doing the entire job to
begin with!

Of recent, I have created a doc using what I consider to be the
standard typical headers and footers, and everytime I make a change
in one place, unwanted changes appear in others. This makes me nuts!
As an FYI; I have copied and pasted every reply I have been given
from this site as well as about 3 other sites whose purpose is to
help with WORD issues. A solution that worked one day, suddenly
doesn't work the next time. Like my current situation! I have
modified the styles, done this and done that, and still, my page
numbers are not consecutive, no matter what I do. As example. And
believe me, I have done everything I have been told to do. It seems
that frequently when I enter a change for a style and then hit the
old "enter" key to apply the change, the change itself works, but all
of a sudden, the font in my entire doc has changed! It seems to be
is always something.

My point is simply that it is extremely frustrating to try and do
something that is not a big deal and then it doesn't work and you
have no idea why not. I will go to the office assistant and I swear,
my problem stated, there is never an answer to my problem. They
provide pat answers of information you can read when you originally
read the how to. It's as if you didn't read it to begin with, so you
are directed back to what you already know. But if that doesn't solve
it, you end up resorting to sites like this to get your problem
actually solved.

Thank Heavens this site exists or I would be looney tunes by now!

So okay, I have rambled much too long with my frustrations, and now I
am over it. This topic just hit a button of mine and I simply HAD to
submit my woes, and agreement and understanding of word haters
situation. As to the way he/she came across, which hit some folks
rather harshly, I have to still agree with word hater. It seems to
me that simply by virtue of your answer, that being to spend the time
to learn how to use WORD, her frustration over the problem itself AND
the answer given - SHOULD allow you to understand the exasperation.
We are all big people, even if you don't agree with her methods, you
need not fuel the fire by replying the same way. That makes you no
better. If you came across professionally and replying to each issue
clearly, with no sarcastic jabs, I would bet that she would have
calmed down as the issues were discussed. Instead, the responses
received only made the whole thing worse.

I know I am still rambling (apologies again) but I am not able to even
entertain the thought of writing software. But when I buy a program, a
reputable expensive program, and the 1st thing I am hit with is to
buy the support package, that sends me into the ozone right off the
bat. I interpret that to mean, "yes, there will be problems and
issues and if you want them cleared up, you are going to have to pay
for getting the answer." WHAT?!?! If the software WAS written
correctly, and written for the typical average (majority) of users,
then there should not be any problems other than probably a hardware
issue. Believe me when I said I am not even in the same ball park as
you whiz folks, so the issues I have - I suspect are equal to
mosquito bites to you folks. We are the people that need to be
respected. It doesn't seem right to me that you (the software
writers) assume that we would know how to do ..... what isn't told in
the help sections. So there in lies the frustrations.

Okay, now I really am done.
Thanks for this opportunity. And please know, that I have been very
satisfied and relieved with the help I have gotten from this site to
my problems. I would've shot my pc by now had I not been able to get
this help.

"Word Hater" wrote:

Im a software developer and the hardest part of my job is using MS
Word to write all my documentation. Im CONSTANTLY battling with
indentations, numbering and tables that have a mind of their own and
are so counter-intuitive it makes me want to eat my computer. I have
handed in documents to my projects managers in the past which they
returned to me complaining about the formatting. I have simply
replied to them that I refuse to waste my time using such a badly
written bit of software and they can do the bloody indentations
themselves. Youd think after a million versions MS would have fixed
it. Oh no.

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