Style feature in Word 2003 has major flaws.

I have been using the Word style features since Word 97, and I have to say
that 2003 is the worst I have seen. I have used the style organizer, created
styles, and used those styles successfully. However, in this latest edition
it is almost impossible to use. I understand that some of the older versions
took some time to learn, which a lot of people don't care to do, so you tried
to make it so anyone could use it. Well all you did was make it so no one
can use it. I was using one of the styles I had created, and it just
randomly changed it toward the end of the document. Additionally, a feature
I used often was the "change style throughout document" is gone. That was
helpful if there was a glitch that suddenly shifted my tab, I could fix it
once and update the rest, but not anymore. Now if you make the slightest
change it creates a new style, which is indisernable to a previous one in the
menu, so it is impossible to know which one is correct.

I don't understand why you are dumbing down a program for people who will
tab 8 times to the side of the page rather than right justifing, or just
setting a tab.

Please create a feature that will work, even if it means people might
actually have to read some directions to learn it.

----------------
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/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=0c5a10f3-2e10-40d8-8ef6-81544b7782d6&dg=microsoft.public.word.vba.general

Jezebel
Tue Jul 11 18:44:23 CDT 2006

'Latest version' !? Hardly.

But apart from generally whinging, what is your actual complaint? You can
still change styles throughout the document.

"Now if you make the slightest
> change it creates a new style, which is indisernable to a previous one in
> the
> menu, so it is impossible to know which one is correct."

This is nonsense. If it's 'indiscernible' it is, by definition irrelevant.
Presumably you mean 'minor'. There are several ways you can convert the
entire document back to style; and you can prevent the changes from style in
the first place.

But as for dumbing down, no question that MS is doing that: it has to deal
with dumb users like you.





"Word isn't that hard" <Word isn't that hard@discussions.microsoft.com>
wrote in message news:0C5A10F3-2E10-40D8-8EF6-81544B7782D6@microsoft.com...
>I have been using the Word style features since Word 97, and I have to say
> that 2003 is the worst I have seen. I have used the style organizer,
> created
> styles, and used those styles successfully. However, in this latest
> edition
> it is almost impossible to use. I understand that some of the older
> versions
> took some time to learn, which a lot of people don't care to do, so you
> tried
> to make it so anyone could use it. Well all you did was make it so no one
> can use it. I was using one of the styles I had created, and it just
> randomly changed it toward the end of the document. Additionally, a
> feature
> I used often was the "change style throughout document" is gone. That was
> helpful if there was a glitch that suddenly shifted my tab, I could fix it
> once and update the rest, but not anymore. Now if you make the slightest
> change it creates a new style, which is indisernable to a previous one in
> the
> menu, so it is impossible to know which one is correct.
>
> I don't understand why you are dumbing down a program for people who will
> tab 8 times to the side of the page rather than right justifing, or just
> setting a tab.
>
> Please create a feature that will work, even if it means people might
> actually have to read some directions to learn it.
>
> ----------------
> 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/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=0c5a10f3-2e10-40d8-8ef6-81544b7782d6&dg=microsoft.public.word.vba.general

Stefan
Wed Jul 12 07:25:10 CDT 2006

See: http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/CustomizingWord2002.htm

I'm guessing that, specifically, you want to disable the "Keep track
of formatting" option and re-enable "Prompt to update styles"; these
are discussed in the "Other style issues" section of the linked
article.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


"Word isn't that hard" wrote in message
news:0C5A10F3-2E10-40D8-8EF6-81544B7782D6@microsoft.com...
> I have been using the Word style features since Word 97, and I have
to say
> that 2003 is the worst I have seen. I have used the style
organizer, created
> styles, and used those styles successfully. However, in this latest
edition
> it is almost impossible to use. I understand that some of the older
versions
> took some time to learn, which a lot of people don't care to do, so
you tried
> to make it so anyone could use it. Well all you did was make it so
no one
> can use it. I was using one of the styles I had created, and it
just
> randomly changed it toward the end of the document. Additionally, a
feature
> I used often was the "change style throughout document" is gone.
That was
> helpful if there was a glitch that suddenly shifted my tab, I could
fix it
> once and update the rest, but not anymore. Now if you make the
slightest
> change it creates a new style, which is indisernable to a previous
one in the
> menu, so it is impossible to know which one is correct.
>
> I don't understand why you are dumbing down a program for people who
will
> tab 8 times to the side of the page rather than right justifing, or
just
> setting a tab.
>
> Please create a feature that will work, even if it means people
might
> actually have to read some directions to learn it.
>
> ----------------
> 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/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=0c5a10f3-2e10-40d8-8ef6-81544b7782d6&dg=microsoft.public.word.vba.general