(OT -- So OT It's Not Funny) Good Grief How I HATE MS Word

[barsoomcore]

Just so people don't think I'm a... whatever I got called...

It's not that I don't know how to turn auto-numbering off. It's not that I think WordPerfect is better. It's not that I think auto-numbering has no value. But boy, when you get those auto-numbers messed up -- or when somebody between editors 5 and 35 on your 40-page requirements spec messes them up, it can sure be fun trying to get things back in order. I've literally dumped entire Word docs out to Wordpad and back into Word just to ditch all the "helpful" formatting.

Believe me, I work in Word all day, every day. I consider myself a VERY sophisticated Word user. I value its good features. I agree with Dimwhit about Word for Mac -- it's much better than Word for Windows, I'd say. I use both.

AND I'll back up Steve Jung on Word 5.0 for the Mac. That was probably the most useful word processor I ever worked on. LOVED it.

So it's not like I'm a whiny know-nothing user. I guess I MIGHT be a jerk, though. But that's another story.

Every now and then, though, Word drives me completely around the bend. Just had to vent.

Hey, if you caught any of Bill Gate's keynote for the Office 2003 launch, you might have seen some of my handiwork. Anybody see the 3D race car in the Word doc? That was me.

See? I can embed interactive 3D models in Word documents. My Word Fu is strong.

 

[ciaran00]

ciaran00, no need to call names, please. We try to be civil with our fellow posters.

I doubt that calling someone a jerk is all that extreme. I understand "community spirit" too, but I think that looking up Tools -> Options is not all that nonintuitive. It's my chance to "vent" if you will.

But boy, when you get those auto-numbers messed up -- or when somebody between editors 5 and 35 on your 40-page requirements spec messes them up, it can sure be fun trying to get things back in order.

Have an agreed-upon read-only template. Also, in any chunk in Word, you can remove formatting completely. Having keyboard shortcuts for predef'd styles to reapply to unformatted chunks allows you to reverse their errors.

I've literally dumped entire Word docs out to Wordpad and back into Word just to ditch all the "helpful" formatting.

(A) You should have all these options turned off on YOUR copy of Word. (B) You can remove any and all formatting / apply a default style on any chunk without having to cut and paste (or anything else). If the doc itself is corrupted (you may not be talking about this), god help you.

it's much better than Word for Windows

Damn it. Now I want it.

Word drives me completely around the bend.

What gets me worked up is Word's inability to direct text AROUND tables (of course it can easily do this for images). This is the single reason why I have to keep turning to InDesign2. Unfortunately ID2 can't do all the neato scripting that Word can.........

ciaran

 

[Ranger REG]

I doubt that calling someone a jerk is all that extreme. I understand "community spirit" too, but I think that looking up Tools -> Options is not all that nonintuitive. It's my chance to "vent" if you will.

It may not be that blatant to you, but whether or not you are frustrated at this discussion does not entitle you to "vent" at other posters by calling them that, regardless of their intelligence.

As someone have told me before, "if you don't like the thread, don't read it."

 

[ciaran00]

As someone have told me before, "if you don't like the thread, don't read it."

Same to you too, big guy. Time to take your own advice and drop the point.

ciaran

 

[Desdichado]

I guess I MIGHT be a jerk, though. But that's another story.

I know that I'm a jerk. It just comes with the territory.

I don't really feel your pain, though, BC. I'm a Word fan compared to the alternatives.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Same to you too, big guy. Time to take your own advice and drop the point.

ciaran

Ciaran - your behavior has already been noted by Henry, a moderator of this list. It is not necessary to be rude, nor is it enjoyable for other people to read. Please stop it.

The Auld Grump