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#51
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
I'm so glad to have read all of this...here is what I had posted which seems
to reach most of your comments. As an experienced legal secretary, Information Technology Support Specialist and soon-to-be on-the-job trainer in a renowned legal firm, I believe it is mandatory for me and for Microsoft Word users in this work environment (and others similar to it)to share my opinions and observances of the totally remodeled Word 2007 interface. Although I am now an advanced Word user, I was once a devoted, passionate and unconditionnal WordPerfect user and was for many years. I believed and still believe that Wordperfect was really user friendly, easy to customize, flexible, and mostly, transparent with regards to the logic used in the structure and management of word processed documents. All of which I believe Word does not have. My transition to Word was done with teeth-grinding, frustration,and regrets. With years of hands-on experience (and sweating), extensive and diversified training, and a huge microsoft library (books, videos, learning software and cd's and dvd's) .... I have finally managed the use of advanced functions in creating long complex documents, in this not-so user friendly interface and rigid structure. I now know most of the workarounds necessary to function with Word. Last year, almost converted to Word, I had the shocking experience of meeting with the new Microsoft Word 2007 new interface. Past the initial shock, I did extensive reading of your Microsoft Office 2007 books, visited numerous specialized Word sites, and used Office 2007 for a year. Before writing this email, I was still trying to convince myself that I would adapt sooner or later, and forget this transition. However, I am convinced I will work with Word 2007 because I have to, but will never appreciate the interface that has been totally remodeled considering (no doubt)the needs and opinions of beginner users. I believe, the new interface has been developed on the basis (according to my analyses and experience)of answering the needs of beginner users to create fancy and good looking documents rapidly. This would be fine if the sale of document processing software was intended for a clientele of beginner users and high school students who use word sporadically for basic tasks. However, I believe, that word processors are destined for intermediate to advanced users evolving in the professional workplace to answer to the demands of professionals who make it possible for users to have access to expensive and rapidly changing software. The new concept of a "contextual" working environment does not favor a logical use of Word and the mastering of its functionalities. According to me, (and many experts) this concept has left, experienced intermediate and advanced users looking and searching for tools and functions necessary to the logical structure of documents in Word. Tools now made available in this new contextual environment are limited too the particulars of the document being worked on. Therefore, focusing user-actions to be task and document-specific rather than promoting and facilitating structured, logical and methodical working methods which result in well-structured, logical, stable, efficient and professional documents through the use of templates, styles, outlining and numbering. Also, this new concept does not create, a smooth-flowing and efficient work-flow process obtained by the acquisition of automation processes resulting from the repeated execution of actions in a logic and methodical way. The only work-around suggested for this major obstacle is to create customized toolbars (which most experienced users do not use anyways, because it is much more efficient to use keyboard shortcuts) and go back time and time again to the Microsoft Home button. Note, that inexperienced users usually do not take the time to create a customized environment. My main concern here, is not only that this new interface, may cause document processing to become a nightmare and encur lost of time and money for users, consequently businesses, but that it may also compromise companies' strive to achieve and maintain a professional, consistent and unified corporate image. The basics of marketing will be at peril. If you wish to obtain specific examples in support of what I have advanced I can supply you with them, but Word specialists have written books and books bringing out the importance of understanding and mastering complex document structure mechanics to achieve long, complex, stable documents. Several specialists also mention the increased efficiency of document production when using keyboard shortcuts. Why go back to using the mouse more often with toolbars, buttons, contextual menus and contextual work interface. For a final Word, why not change the programming of your interface (Word 2008 maybe?)to the one used by Wordperfect programmers? Why try to reinvent when a majority of users agree that Wordperfect was the most user-friendly word processing interface. I thank you for taking the time to read me, and I sincerely hope that I will be able to reignite my passion for long complex documents. -- Andre Support representative (Law Firm -- Andre Support representative (Law Firm) "JMB" wrote: I'll make an honest attempt to give this question/feedback a positive twist. I have been using Word/Excel etc. for years now and consider myself somewhat of an expert user. Now I have a new computer with Vista and Office 2007. And I essentially find myself facing this predicament of going up an enormously steep learning curve, i.e. relearning how to wordprocess and spreadsheet almost from scratch all over again. The new and improved of Office 2007 apps may look much more "politically correct" than in previous versions, but so far my experience has been that it can hardly get any less user friendly and more convoluted than this. I'm giving it a very serious try here, but I'm also beginning to think about throwing in the towel. Anybody out there that can offer any useful advice as to how I can actually start using the Office 2007 applications without letting all my previous experience and know-how completely go to waste? -- JMB |
#52
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
I have a problem when I save a word file that I have downloaded off of the
internet site where I do online teaching. If I click save as, I then choose the location in my computer. And it works fine. If I download the file, and then click save, and then edit the file, and then click save, and then close the file, it disappears. I can not find it anywhere in my computer. The search option in my startup menu will not find it. Where is it? How do I get to it? Help, please. -- DDE "JMB" wrote: I'll make an honest attempt to give this question/feedback a positive twist. I have been using Word/Excel etc. for years now and consider myself somewhat of an expert user. Now I have a new computer with Vista and Office 2007. And I essentially find myself facing this predicament of going up an enormously steep learning curve, i.e. relearning how to wordprocess and spreadsheet almost from scratch all over again. The new and improved of Office 2007 apps may look much more "politically correct" than in previous versions, but so far my experience has been that it can hardly get any less user friendly and more convoluted than this. I'm giving it a very serious try here, but I'm also beginning to think about throwing in the towel. Anybody out there that can offer any useful advice as to how I can actually start using the Office 2007 applications without letting all my previous experience and know-how completely go to waste? -- JMB |
#53
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
You may have opened the Word file directly from your browser without
saving it first to a folder. The browser will download the file to a temporary internet directly to open it and that is where it gets saved when you don't use "save as". You need to either right click the link and save it to a specific folder or once in the word document do a "save as" to specify to save it somewhere other than the temporary internet folder that your browser has placed it. If you do a save as from MS Word from within the document, you can also usually determine where the temporary folder is located. Regards, Ben DDE wrote: I have a problem when I save a word file that I have downloaded off of the internet site where I do online teaching. If I click save as, I then choose the location in my computer. And it works fine. If I download the file, and then click save, and then edit the file, and then click save, and then close the file, it disappears. I can not find it anywhere in my computer. The search option in my startup menu will not find it. Where is it? How do I get to it? Help, please. |
#54
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
Ben wrote:
You may have opened the Word file directly from your browser without saving it first to a folder. The browser will download the file to a temporary internet directly to open it and that is where it gets saved when you don't use "save as". You need to either right click the link I meant to say that the browser will download the file to a temporary internet *directory* (i.e. folder). The word "directly" was a typo. Regards, Ben |
#55
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
When you open a document from an e-mail attachment it opens as a temporary
file. You make and save your changes to that temporary file and when you close Word the temporary file is gone - so don't do it! See also http://www.gmayor.com/outlook_attachments.htm -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org "DDE" wrote in message ... I have a problem when I save a word file that I have downloaded off of the internet site where I do online teaching. If I click save as, I then choose the location in my computer. And it works fine. If I download the file, and then click save, and then edit the file, and then click save, and then close the file, it disappears. I can not find it anywhere in my computer. The search option in my startup menu will not find it. Where is it? How do I get to it? Help, please. -- DDE "JMB" wrote: I'll make an honest attempt to give this question/feedback a positive twist. I have been using Word/Excel etc. for years now and consider myself somewhat of an expert user. Now I have a new computer with Vista and Office 2007. And I essentially find myself facing this predicament of going up an enormously steep learning curve, i.e. relearning how to wordprocess and spreadsheet almost from scratch all over again. The new and improved of Office 2007 apps may look much more "politically correct" than in previous versions, but so far my experience has been that it can hardly get any less user friendly and more convoluted than this. I'm giving it a very serious try here, but I'm also beginning to think about throwing in the towel. Anybody out there that can offer any useful advice as to how I can actually start using the Office 2007 applications without letting all my previous experience and know-how completely go to waste? -- JMB |
#56
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Word 2007 Learning Curve
If you don't use SaveAs and choose a location, the file will be in the
Temporary Internet Files - and usually there are many thousands of these on a busy computer. Nor are they indexed, so finding them using Search is tricky too. -- Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP "DDE" wrote in message ... I have a problem when I save a word file that I have downloaded off of the internet site where I do online teaching. If I click save as, I then choose the location in my computer. And it works fine. If I download the file, and then click save, and then edit the file, and then click save, and then close the file, it disappears. I can not find it anywhere in my computer. The search option in my startup menu will not find it. Where is it? How do I get to it? Help, please. -- DDE "JMB" wrote: I'll make an honest attempt to give this question/feedback a positive twist. I have been using Word/Excel etc. for years now and consider myself somewhat of an expert user. Now I have a new computer with Vista and Office 2007. And I essentially find myself facing this predicament of going up an enormously steep learning curve, i.e. relearning how to wordprocess and spreadsheet almost from scratch all over again. The new and improved of Office 2007 apps may look much more "politically correct" than in previous versions, but so far my experience has been that it can hardly get any less user friendly and more convoluted than this. I'm giving it a very serious try here, but I'm also beginning to think about throwing in the towel. Anybody out there that can offer any useful advice as to how I can actually start using the Office 2007 applications without letting all my previous experience and know-how completely go to waste? -- JMB |
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