When I click on help I just want help. I'm not interested in being bombarded
with ads and 'featured links.' Aside from being annoying, these strike me as
a major security risk. How can I restrict help to looking for help and not
the rest of this extraneous content?
If the convenience of the user is what's at stake here, this 'feature'
should be disabled by default. At the very least instructions on how to
disable it should be prominent and visible. If on the other hand the idea is
to steer users into yet another online shopping site...
More generally, Microsoft has a tendency to come up with all kinds of new
features that may be exactly what somebody is looking for but are an
annoyance to at least as many other users, and then make it all but
impossible for the user to figure out how to get rid of the feature he never
asked for and doesn't particularly want. I really wish they'd knock it off.

The instructions *are* visible. At the bottom of the Help task pane,
click Online Content Settings. In the dialog, click the Online Content
category, if it isn't already selected, and uncheck any of the boxes
on the right that don't suit you.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

On Sat, 21 May 2005 13:24:02 -0700, "David"
wrote:

When I click on help I just want help. I'm not interested in being bombarded
with ads and 'featured links.' Aside from being annoying, these strike me as
a major security risk. How can I restrict help to looking for help and not
the rest of this extraneous content?
If the convenience of the user is what's at stake here, this 'feature'
should be disabled by default. At the very least instructions on how to
disable it should be prominent and visible. If on the other hand the idea is
to steer users into yet another online shopping site...
More generally, Microsoft has a tendency to come up with all kinds of new
features that may be exactly what somebody is looking for but are an
annoyance to at least as many other users, and then make it all but
impossible for the user to figure out how to get rid of the feature he never
asked for and doesn't particularly want. I really wish they'd knock it off.

Thanks for that. Sometimes you search help for something and it doesn't turn
up, because the answer is right under your nose.

I find myself in the position of having to quote Emily Latella... and am
impressed by having a live person from a software company answer a concern.

One order of Crow to go, please...




"Jay Freedman" wrote:

The instructions *are* visible. At the bottom of the Help task pane,
click Online Content Settings. In the dialog, click the Online Content
category, if it isn't already selected, and uncheck any of the boxes
on the right that don't suit you.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

On Sat, 21 May 2005 13:24:02 -0700, "David"
wrote:

When I click on help I just want help. I'm not interested in being bombarded
with ads and 'featured links.' Aside from being annoying, these strike me as
a major security risk. How can I restrict help to looking for help and not
the rest of this extraneous content?
If the convenience of the user is what's at stake here, this 'feature'
should be disabled by default. At the very least instructions on how to
disable it should be prominent and visible. If on the other hand the idea is
to steer users into yet another online shopping site...
More generally, Microsoft has a tendency to come up with all kinds of new
features that may be exactly what somebody is looking for but are an
annoyance to at least as many other users, and then make it all but
impossible for the user to figure out how to get rid of the feature he never
asked for and doesn't particularly want. I really wish they'd knock it off.

David shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.newusers:

Thanks for that. Sometimes you search help for something and it
doesn't turn up, because the answer is right under your nose.

I find myself in the position of having to quote Emily Latella... and
am impressed by having a live person from a software company answer a
concern.

Why do you assume Jay is a Borg^WMicrosoft employee? AFAICT, there are
no MS emplyees *at all* on the Microsoft newsgroups. Just regular Joes
(or Jays) like you or me.

One order of Crow to go, please...

ACK on that one

--
Amedee Van Gasse using XanaNews 1.17.4.1
If it has an "X" in the name, it must be Linux?

Amedee Van Gasse wrote:
David shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.newusers:

Thanks for that. Sometimes you search help for something and it
doesn't turn up, because the answer is right under your nose.

I find myself in the position of having to quote Emily Latella... and
am impressed by having a live person from a software company answer a
concern.

Why do you assume Jay is a Borg^WMicrosoft employee? AFAICT, there are
no MS emplyees *at all* on the Microsoft newsgroups. Just regular Joes
(or Jays) like you or me.

That's correct. The MVPs aren't MS employees -- in fact, a few have been
hired and had to give up MVP status. More info at
http://word.mvps.org/AboutMVPs/index.htm. (But you *will* be assimilated...
:-) )

One order of Crow to go, please...

ACK on that one

A lot of these things are caused by the lack of a usable help index. If you
don't already know the term you're looking for, it can be almost impossible
to find the right topic. This is one of the most urgent conversations the
MVPs have with 'Softies.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

Hmm...........MVP vs full-time job for a major company. What would I do?
(Yeah, like I'd have to think about that one for more than 30 seconds. I'd
miss you guys at Summit.)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]



"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
Amedee Van Gasse wrote:
David shared this with us in microsoft.public.word.newusers:

Thanks for that. Sometimes you search help for something and it
doesn't turn up, because the answer is right under your nose.

I find myself in the position of having to quote Emily Latella... and
am impressed by having a live person from a software company answer a
concern.

Why do you assume Jay is a Borg^WMicrosoft employee? AFAICT, there are
no MS emplyees *at all* on the Microsoft newsgroups. Just regular Joes
(or Jays) like you or me.

That's correct. The MVPs aren't MS employees -- in fact, a few have been
hired and had to give up MVP status. More info at
http://word.mvps.org/AboutMVPs/index.htm. (But you *will* be
assimilated...
:-) )

One order of Crow to go, please...

ACK on that one

A lot of these things are caused by the lack of a usable help index. If
you
don't already know the term you're looking for, it can be almost
impossible
to find the right topic. This is one of the most urgent conversations the
MVPs have with 'Softies.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org