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#1
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Please make MS Word simpler
I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was
a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#2
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Haven't you already posted this suggestion (verbatim) once before? By
reposting it, you're just splitting the number of votes each individual suggestion will get. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Jeremy" Jeremy @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message ... I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#3
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No chance that's it's a repeat on my part. I wrote the post today, and
posted it for the first time today. If someone else had the same thought (though I doubt verbatim), then perhaps it should be given extra consideration. "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: Haven't you already posted this suggestion (verbatim) once before? By reposting it, you're just splitting the number of votes each individual suggestion will get. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Jeremy" Jeremy @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message ... I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#4
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Hi Jeremy,
According to Bill Gates CEO Summit keynote today (19May05) one of the focus items for Office 12 and other information worker apps is to make things simpler to use/easier to find if I recall correctly: http://microsoft.com/events/executives/billgates.mspx ========= "Jeremy" wrote in message news No chance that's it's a repeat on my part. I wrote the post today, and posted it for the first time today. If someone else had the same thought (though I doubt verbatim), then perhaps it should be given extra consideration. -- Let us know if this helped you, Bob Buckland ?:-) MS Office System Products MVP *Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends* Office 2003 Editions explained http://www.microsoft.com/uk/office/editions.mspx |
#5
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So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous
versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#6
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Hi Beth,
The problem isn't that it's impossible to change borders or that I don't know how to do it. The problem is that that doing things like changing borders are far harder than they need to be. Add a row to the end of a table, and the heavy bottom border often gets repeated. Not unfixable using either dialog boxes or style sheets, but just very, very annoying. Placing picures is also extremely frustrating. And I'm not talking just about borders and pictures: There are at least 50 examples of this kind of problem. My point is not that Word can't do these things correctly; clearly it can. It's just that, exactly as you said, many features have not been changed since they were introduced. And people who know Word well are probably the worst people to evaluate my "make things easier" suggestion, as those super-users probably don't suffer Word pains the way the "average" user does. Like a dusty carpet, Word needs to be hung out the window and given a good shake. Many things in Word are done simply because that's the way they've been done for 10 years. But computing has changed a lot in the last 10 years, and people's expectations of easy-to-use interfaces have also changed. I acknowledge that Word is the market leader and that "legacy" support is important, but that does not mean that a wholesale review of how common features work is not appropriate. As I said in my original post, Word needs to innovate, but not along the lines of groupware or that other stuff that Office 12 promises. Instead, it needs to take a fundamental look at its core interface and make itself far, far easier to use. "Beth Melton" wrote: So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#7
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Please make MS Word simpler
A year later, after the post I am replying to was written, MS releases Office
2007 beta 2. MS Word is much improved, but I am not sure you can say it is simplier. Lots of things in it are simplier, but there are many more buttons that used to be hidden that are now always out. -- Firth "Beth Melton" wrote: So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#8
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Please make MS Word simpler
The idea was to make features more "discoverable" in Word 2007 but not to
overwhelm you with all of them at once, just to make available those you can use in whatever you're currently doing. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "firth" wrote in message ... A year later, after the post I am replying to was written, MS releases Office 2007 beta 2. MS Word is much improved, but I am not sure you can say it is simplier. Lots of things in it are simplier, but there are many more buttons that used to be hidden that are now always out. -- Firth "Beth Melton" wrote: So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#9
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Please make MS Word simpler
Just last week, I was again stunned by the awful-ness of Word, as I was
trying to interleave numbered and unnumbered paragraphs. Word kept messing up the indents, numbering where it wasn't supposed to, etc etc etc, all because nobody at Microsoft has sat down to think about how to redo autonumbering for the 21st century. As it is, the feature is almost exactly the same as it was 10 years ago (!) in Word '97. I suppose the Office 12 proof will be in the pudding, but I'm not too hopeful. Word is an old product that needs a total revamp. But a complete lack of competition in the productivity package arena makes that highly improbabe; I can only hope that the new Lotus apps, online software, and other innovations give Microsoft enough of a scare that they'll make some changes. At the very least, they could introduce a "Word Express" similar to Outlook Express... enough features for most users, while keeping the legacy product for those who want/need to use it. "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: The idea was to make features more "discoverable" in Word 2007 but not to overwhelm you with all of them at once, just to make available those you can use in whatever you're currently doing. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "firth" wrote in message ... A year later, after the post I am replying to was written, MS releases Office 2007 beta 2. MS Word is much improved, but I am not sure you can say it is simplier. Lots of things in it are simplier, but there are many more buttons that used to be hidden that are now always out. -- Firth "Beth Melton" wrote: So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
#10
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Please make MS Word simpler
Numbering is one of the issues that I know for a fact was specifically
targeted in Word 2007. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Jeremy" wrote in message ... Just last week, I was again stunned by the awful-ness of Word, as I was trying to interleave numbered and unnumbered paragraphs. Word kept messing up the indents, numbering where it wasn't supposed to, etc etc etc, all because nobody at Microsoft has sat down to think about how to redo autonumbering for the 21st century. As it is, the feature is almost exactly the same as it was 10 years ago (!) in Word '97. I suppose the Office 12 proof will be in the pudding, but I'm not too hopeful. Word is an old product that needs a total revamp. But a complete lack of competition in the productivity package arena makes that highly improbabe; I can only hope that the new Lotus apps, online software, and other innovations give Microsoft enough of a scare that they'll make some changes. At the very least, they could introduce a "Word Express" similar to Outlook Express... enough features for most users, while keeping the legacy product for those who want/need to use it. "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: The idea was to make features more "discoverable" in Word 2007 but not to overwhelm you with all of them at once, just to make available those you can use in whatever you're currently doing. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "firth" wrote in message ... A year later, after the post I am replying to was written, MS releases Office 2007 beta 2. MS Word is much improved, but I am not sure you can say it is simplier. Lots of things in it are simplier, but there are many more buttons that used to be hidden that are now always out. -- Firth "Beth Melton" wrote: So you are saying the need to place a photo/graphic in a Frame in previous versions of Word was easier than simply inserting a photo/graphic in current versions?? Id say the past method contained way too many steps and its very simple now. And last I checked, how you modify table borders and paragraph spacing really hasn't changed since the features were introduced. Perhaps you aren't utilizing the simple methods provided?? If you could provide us with descriptions of what you are trying to accomplish and the steps you are using we can help you out. :-) Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup. Email requests for assistance can not be acknowledged. ~~~~~~~ Beth Melton Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/ "Jeremy" wrote: I've been using MS Word since Word 5.0 in the DOS days. Word for Windows was a huge improvement, but since then, the program's basic features have stagnated. At this point, the program is bloated and incredibly difficult to use: changing borders on tables, placing photos in a document layout, or even just changing paragraph spacing are all much, much more difficult than they need to be. The computing world has moved forward; it's time for Word to do the same. The next "innovations" in Word aren't about groupware, automation, or the Internet. They're about making my daily tasks of creating basic documents easier. ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/comm...ocmanagemen t |
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