All things Microsoft Office Word, from the Word team.
Earlier this year I asked if you'd fill-in the following sentences:
Well, the results are in and available in their raw form below (note: the responses below are unedited and in the language that of the original poster). Thanks for the excellent feedback.
Some good or bad news, depending on how you look at it, is that a few of your requests are possible in Word today (we hope). For example, consider the following responses to "If the next version of Word improved my ability to x...":
The first is possible via the Compare button on the Review tab:
The second is enabled by the Mailings tab:
The third by the Protect Document button on the Review tab:
The fourth by the Custom Dictionary functionality found in Proofing tab of the Word Options dialog:
As for the rest of them:
Finally, I'm curious what you think about all the feedback below. Does it make sense? Is it missing the point? Let me know what you think.
-Jonathan
(PS Special thanks to Stuart for the insight he added to this post)
If the next version of Word improved my ability to x...
...it would make my life better because...
If the Word Team Blog improved my ability to x...
...it would make my life better because…
do text to speech while typing
the quaility of my initial input would be much improved.
interact with OneNote
production of a final report would be greately enhanced, thus the final quailty of work would be greatly improved
build operationally specific words to the local dictionary (via a wizard or template)
I would not have to constantly deal with new words during spell check, when I could imput them up front during a single session.
submit product errors and/or suggestions to product team via the ribbon interface
I can offer up specific errors or suggestion as they occur, thus making sure my 2 cents worth is heard
interface with the Digital Rights Management
I can make sure who has viewing and copying sensitive documents rights, also make sure the snippng tool is disabled if a DRM document is being viewed
use a wizard to read a text/document and create an outline of the important key points
export key ideas to a mind map or PowerPoint Presentation
Manage the ruler like the old wordPerfect
I couold do a better and more professional LAYOUTS
bullet and numbering
... it always gets confused
import and export ODF
French administrations are moving to OpenOffice.
contribute feedback on Word development
I like Word and want it to improve.
USE OPENTYPE FONTS
my legal briefs would look better.
great extent, I will be happy
of enrich knowledge it imparts
understand the tabbing and bullet embedded codes
i spend far too long untangling tabbed/bulletted lists getting messed up
Access my word documents via a network password from anywhere
I would never have worrying about leaving my work at home when I work an hour away.
teach 5th graders cool word applications
I am responsible for creating 21st century learners.
write a report, which looks as pretty as LaTeX
I would not have to spend hours trying to get the layout just right
use OpenType advanced typography
I need true smallcaps, glyph alternates, old-style figures
easily create citation formats
I could create citation styles for Law
create my own page styles
I could stand out from using a generic template
working with bibliographies more easy.
I write a lot of articles and I'd like manage my references easily
Quickly and efficiently correspond
I am too busy to figure out how to use programs that have too many bells and whistles
do stuff!
its crap
integrate charts and tables from Excel
I wouldn't have to reformat the data to match my current Word document
find answers to uncommon problems
I would have a place to go to when the Help" menu doesn't meet my needs"
create structured AND layout-intensive documents
I wouldn't have to spend so much time rearranging errant text boxes, correcting page breaks/indexes/etc. after editing, and fixing broken link fields.
relay problems (e.g. bugs) and suggestions to the Word developers
then I would be able to see that user feedback makes a difference.
insert bibliography better
by smoothing the flow of UI in the diagloue box, I can (maybe) say goodbye to Endnote
make my presentation good in word
very happy
import and edit references to a bibliography
I constantly have to work around the limitations in the current version
gain control of figures and their titles
it doesn't dawn on this power-user, why it moves about in the document
control the content of the blank pages resulting from section breaks
sometimes it's not clear whether the blank page is intended or just a printing mistake.
place custom art (from drawing tools) into writing
it is a pain to add drawings to a document
Easily change citation & bibliography formats
Gives more flexibility to anyone trying to write a paper following a certain bibliographic style.
turn off the ribbon and bring back the menu bar from Word 2003
I wouldn't have to hunt for the commands I need by clicking on endless ribbon items
learn the secrets of the Word masters
I could appear to even smarter to my colleagues!
combine all my best of breed applications into one (such as real spreadsheets, email, etc.)
i wouldln't have to switch between applications or have many different types of applications to deal with
use it easier
it would be more usable
1 use the simple functions with no training 2 one click to get to the 2003 menu equivalents
1 new users could not be overwhelmed 2 I wouldn't have to go to help and then the Website and then a couple more screens to get this information
create and edit large (1000+ pages) books with lots of linked pictures
master/sub-documents don't work and wouldn't help much anyway because I need a common TOC, TOF, Index.
understand Word's strengths and limitations
I'm constantly running into problems where I don't know if it's supposed to work or not.
mail merge where I am using the same letter but modified client information each time
I wouldn't feel like I am using it backwards (I always feel like it is designed to use different letters but the same data records and it is not very user friendly to constantly add new data records or revise exisiting ones)
reference
i just started a degree at a university that uses the harvard referencing system that you didn't include in 2007!
write reports
i now have to write reports as part of my degree.
convince my company's ID department to install it
they would
link word files to xml data sources
currently it's pretty sophisticated.
edit .pdf
it's one of the standard formats next to .doc
Collaborate on documents and know who said what when
I would know who was getting their work done on time and who was not, because I don't trust my coworkers
get my feature ideas into the next version of the product
Word would do what I wanted! :)
create a ribbon with simple skills (html, javascript)
I could integrate more online services and content to decrease the need to copy/paste.
intelligently compare two or more documents
need to compare docs
Build structured documents based on categorised building blocks and business data
My clients woudl save lots of time compiling their documents.
Improve my developer productivity
I could deliver many more productivity solutions to my clients (now it is often to expensive)
notetaking (outliner)
it can handle bibtex file for inserting the references.
cite references using the Harvard Referencing System
I could automatically reference and save a lot of time referencing the many essays I and thousands of other students do a year!
switch back and forth between the current MAC and Windows versions with little user difference in commands
I'm a trainer, and I train on both platforms - often in the same class! Minimizing the differences would help keep our training costs down and eliminate the challenges for users who are forced to be familiar with both platforms.
keep the scrolling position of the styles list
I wouldn't need to scroll or use drop-down button to use styles that are at the bottom of the list
work faster without having to figure out where the buttons have moved to
I would spend less time on the mechanics of the document
Edit the HTML code of a word document directly. (since it IS integrated into Outlook)
if Word had a compare feature to sort through changes in another file. It would also help if it allowed overlay of changes like Beyond compare.
build customized html fill-in forms in word, I would be a lot more productive.
i would know how to friggin do it. :)
create forms
I will be able to create new forms very fast and send to my colleagues
Open DOTX and other Word 2007 files that can't be opened in 2003
Help Desk would save time and money - you might lose money selling new version
convert 2007 to older versions of word used throught the world as we know it
I wouldn't waste so much of my precious lifetime on unnecessary problems you have created for my with your monopoly status
write questionnaires by allowing me to easily update all references to autonumbered questions when the question numbers change
I wouldn't have to spend hours manually updating Ask If" and "skip to" logic every time I insert a question"
understand why Word style sheets are so convoluted
I might actually use style sheets
easier use of XML (interoperability between Excel and Word)
maybe it would not be so technical (it is already pretty darn good though)
use and customize content controls
I could create more effective documents
reuse content from other documents, sources and systems
I could spend more time on the unique stuff.
understand smart tags
I would use them more
copy building block/autotext entries to other templates
I need this functionality very often and use the Organiser dialog for copying autotext entries frequently in previous Word versions.
give users of old Word versions an easier understanding of Ribbon
they would not need so much support
to quickly format pictures by automatically switching to the contextual tab
I would not have to select the contextual tab myself.
type O2008 without autocompleting it to O2008-01-11 (option to disable this AND when enabled localized date format)
this is somewhat annoying.
move the startup folder, which has templates containing RibbonX and still keep RibbonX symbols in the QAT (qat files currently contain full template file path instead of file name or internal template name only)
users here have different startup folders on the network which have partially identical templates in it
reference headers/text in another document
I have a group of related document
use large documents in a group
we are a team working on the same set of large documents eg. referencing a document written by another in my document
Write directly on the screen rather than using the TIP even when converting to text...
...because it would enhance the creative process even more, be fun, and make text input in Word smoother and quicker when using a tablet in slate mode.
Communicate directly with team members...
...it would add value and make my love of Word even greater. Sometimes, you have a question that's vexing and you just don't have the time to sour the net for an answer...especially if your question is rather obscure.
just get on with my work instead of having IT take over and change things like the hated extra LINE SPACING
I have spent hours and hours trying to come to grips with 2007
move the multifunctional bar
i would be able to see more text on my 15,4' screen
use drop down menus
menus a way quicker than buttons
customise the screen
I could get real estate on my 12 in superlight back and useable
work with sections and subdocuments by combining both features into an Excel-style tabbed interface.
it's hard to see where sections start and stop; to add/delete sections; to keep the layout from freaking out when editing section-heavy documents; to add new pages and chapters in the middle of a document without messing up the layout; to create multi-author anthology-like documents (where each chapter should be a section linked to a separate file.)
add capabilities to Word, e.g. by featuring more add-ins (like the math canvas one) and macros.
I could do more!
have Bibliog. styles in accordance with IEEE format, even better if it could be linked with the IEEExplore database
it would let me save a lot of time and (commercially speaking) it would let a lot of peple use Office instead of LateX
this is the one i agree with
I wouldn't have to hunt for the commands I need by clicking on endless ribbon items
* think of a more clever and easy way of making users migrate to Ribbon. I love it and I've learnt it, but many users just don't have time for trial-and-error. But don't bring the old UI quite back, or Ribbon is dead.
* Care about details.
-- Provide good default styles (this was a nice improvement in 2007, you can go further)
-- implement all advanced OpenType typography features
-- enable kerning by default (sooo many users think Work doesn't have it)
-- improve the justification algorithm, like suggesting to enable hyphenation and using inter-letter spacing as well as inter-word.
These would make "default" Word documents look much better, and most users rarely ever go beyond the defaults.
* Make users focus on document structure. Clarify that "title", "heading" and so on are not just visual styles, what advantages their usage provides (like indexes, and maybe placeholders in header-footer?), and provide an easy interface to change their appearance (like in PowerPoint).
Andrea--
Have you experiemented with the Change Styles control on the Home tab in Word 2007? That's our first effort of meeting the goal you describe in your last phrase.
As to your comments on typography, I totally agree with you for printed documents. The interesting tension is between online documents (the most common documents created in Word) which are constrained to some extent by screen resolution and those documents where the higher resolution of the printer allows for greatly improved typography. It's definitely an area where we continue to explore and invest.
Hi Gary - There's no need to hunt for commands.
Please see, and check-out the tool that mapps the 2003 toolbars to the 2007 Ribbon.
-Jonathan (MS)
I'm looking for instructions on how to make sure my photos are posted to my Blogger-hosted blog when I post using Word 2007. Can someone give me some step-by-step instructions, including the appropriate URLs and where to find them, on how to ensure that my pictures are posted to my blog?
I'm really enjoying Office 2007 but this small problem is pretty frustrating.
So not one request for making word more interoperable with online services. Guaranteed this will be the major part of the next version to follow MS strategy of Software+Services. For my penny worth (as I'm British), have an option in Word that you can set to automatically move the start of your paragraph to the next page if when typing the paragraph you cross over from one page to another, as I don't like to see a paragraph crossing over two pages (or does this already exist?)
Jason -- On the Format Paragraph dialog, on the Line and Page Breaks tab, you want to activate the option Keep Lines Together.
If you want to have this for all paragraphs in your document, after you make the change, right-click on the paragraph and select Update Normal to Match Selection.
If you want to store this as the default for all new documents, in Word 2007, you can select the Change Styles control from the Home tab and then use the Set as Default command.
Hi,
Although this comment is unrelated to your post. Someone may want to fix the weblink entitled "Putting You & I back into Office 2007’s Ribbon UI" under the heading "Other Excellent Blogs". It should be:
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks for the heads-up Greg. This has been fixed.
Have you ever tried to use the mailings tab to edit a recipient list? I can't be the only person that wishes for the old merge way back. (and this is my only problem with '07 Word - I love everything else)
I have a recipient list of about 400 companies. I use the same few letters (they are payoff letters that the companies are requesting) and want to keep the company information the same each time but I need to change the client information in each data record before I merge it in. If you think this isn't a pain then either I am doing something wrong or you don't understand what I am saying (knowing me, it really could be either). The biggest issue is all the clicking just to get to my data source, the next is that when you are tabbing from one field to another the cursor doesn't highlight the entire entry, as it did in the previous version. This made it very easy to just type in the new information and the old information would get deleted as soon as you started typing. Now the cursor goes to the end of the entry and I have backspace through my entry, then type in the new information. I'm not being whiny - do this 20 times a day and you will be wishing for the old way too.
What am I doing wrong?
Harvard, Harvard, Harvard - here we are a good 6 months since the Word Team Post on how to create your own referencing system ()and because it is so impossible no-one has achieved it. Again - Harvard Referencing please. ASAP.
I've started a project hosted on Google Code to see if we have enough XSL junkies who use the Harvard Referencing Style to create ourselves a custom referencing style for it.
Anyone is welcome to contribute, so far we have not got anywhere near compliance but that is why we need contributors.
Diane--I'm sorry to say that i don't think that you are doing anything wrong. When I try this with an Excel spreadsheet as a data source, I see the behavior that you are describing.
Stuart
If Word would STOP MOVING MY PICTURES AROUND WHENEVER I CHANGE ANY ASPECT OF FORMATTING it would improve my life greatly. Why does Word feel the need to change the value of Vertical Absolute Position from 20 px below paragraph by -90 px every time I change the bloody size of the picture. Why would I want to move my picture -870 px up just because I shrank it by 15%?!?!?!?! ESPECIALLY since the ANCHOR IS LOCKED! THAT would improve Word quite a bit right there!!!