Suggestion/Wish: Bring back the "What's This?" pointer in Word 200

[Guest]

When you click the "Question mark" (?) in a Word dialog box the "What's This?" mouse pointer used for clicking a specific option for more information is no longer available in Word 2003. Instead a Help page surfaces which provides dialog content.

Although the content is also helpful information, most users utilized the "What's This?" pointer for a quick definition of an option. This was a one-click solution and it is no longer available.

A combination of using the "What's This?" pointer and perhaps pressing F1 for Help content would be ideal.

The "What's This?" pointer is still present in Access 2003 so there is no reason for it not to be available in the other Office applications.
*******
This is a suggestion posted on Microsoft's web interface to access the newsgroups. If you want to vote on this suggestion and are not using the web interface click the link below and vote!
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As I understand it, Microsoft is committed to responding to suggestions that have a high vote count. Let’s hear what they have to say! (btw, we don’t want to hear it is "by design" – that is something we already know.)

~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/

 

[Charles Kenyon]

In my version, it seems like it (sort of) is there. The reveal formatting
task pane, with the "Distinguish style source" option checked gives the same
information I got before, and changes according to what I click on or
select. It also gives section formatting information that I don't think was
given before.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

When you click the "Question mark" (?) in a Word dialog box the "What's

This?" mouse pointer used for clicking a specific option for more
information is no longer available in Word 2003. Instead a Help page
surfaces which provides dialog content.

Although the content is also helpful information, most users utilized the

"What's This?" pointer for a quick definition of an option. This was a
one-click solution and it is no longer available.

A combination of using the "What's This?" pointer and perhaps pressing F1

for Help content would be ideal.

The "What's This?" pointer is still present in Access 2003 so there is no

reason for it not to be available in the other Office applications.

*******
This is a suggestion posted on Microsoft's web interface to access the

newsgroups. If you want to vote on this suggestion and are not using the web
interface click the link below and vote!

http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...osoft.public.word.docmanagement&lang=en&cr=US
(Filter posts on "Suggestions to Microsoft" to quickly find this post)

As I understand it, Microsoft is committed to responding to suggestions

that have a high vote count. Let's hear what they have to say! (btw, we don'
t want to hear it is "by design" - that is something we already know.)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You're talking about something different, Charles. Beth is talking about the
What's This? Help in dialogs, where you could click on the question mark,
then click on a dialog item. Sometimes you'd get "There is no Help topic
associated with this item," but usually you'd get something useful. The one
I really miss is the descriptions of commands in Tools | Customize.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Okay, how do I vote? I thought there'd be a button to click, but aside from the usual ones for "Was this post helpful to you? Yes/No," I'm not seeing anything. But anyway, I'd like to vote for this suggestion.
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Fairhope, AL USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

It's not just you, Suzanne. I'm seeing the same "Yes/No" choice.

 

[Guest]

You should use the Yes/No buttons next to "Was this helpful" in the message pane since they are used to keep track of the Helpful/Not Helpful responses.

I know...the wording could be different but think of it as "will the suggestion be helpful to me". <g>

Aside from the icon, the only thing that changes is the "Notify me of replies". If it is a Suggestion then there is also an option for "Notify me for Microsoft only" to receive a notification only when someone from MS replies to the thread.

~Beth Melton

 

[Guest]

In Word 2003 the Office User Assistance team did research to determine the best approach to "What's This" help. The research was conducted because "What's This" help is very costly and feedback that the team received suggested that the content being provided often added little to the text provided in the UI.

It turned out that only a small percentage of customers actually used the "What's This" help at all. In light of this, the User Assistance team decided to use the resources allocated to "What's This" help to create content that would be used by a broader audience.

In the next version of Office we are looking at options for providing help on UI and in dialogs but there is no plan to bring back "What's This" help.


This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

<Beth Melton> wrote:


When you click the "Question mark" (?) in a Word dialog box the "What's This?" mouse pointer used for clicking a specific option for more information is no longer available in Word 2003. Instead a Help page surfaces which provides dialog content.

Although the content is also helpful information, most users utilized the "What's This?" pointer for a quick definition of an option. This was a one-click solution and it is no longer available.

A combination of using the "What's This?" pointer and perhaps pressing F1 for Help content would be ideal.

The "What's This?" pointer is still present in Access 2003 so there is no reason for it not to be available in the other Office applications.
*******
This is a suggestion posted on Microsoft's web interface to access the newsgroups. If you want to vote on this suggestion and are not using the web interface click the link below and vote!
http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...osoft.public.word.docmanagement&lang=en&cr=US
(Filter posts on "Suggestions to Microsoft" to quickly find this post)

As I understand it, Microsoft is committed to responding to suggestions that have a high vote count. Let’s hear what they have to say! (btw, we don’t want to hear it is "by design" – that is something we already know.)

~~~~~~~
Beth Melton

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/

 

[Guest]

It turned out that only a small percentage of customers actually used the
"What's This" help at all.

That's sad, because F1 ("What's this" in Word) should be as good at
supplying context-sensitive help as possible, and if the Word (Office) team
gives up on this, others will follow. And the more often people get "No help
available on this topic", the less likely they will be to try or recommend F1.

I'd have wished for hyperlinks or a "More..." button as a starting point to
delve deeper into the regular help files.
But instead, most links from the regular help files also vanished, and a
missing index and no hierarchy to browse make the help less accessible :-(

Regards,
Klaus

 

[thuse]

It is my lot to get novices comfortable with the Ribbon in Word 2007. I
think I keep some of them from coming here and asking confusing questions.
The first thing I teach them is the location of the little "?" symbol in the
upper rh corner. When one asks "where did they hide that doggone spell
checker now" the answer is always "hit the question mark. There is a good
search function under it that will tell you under Review, of course." It is
suprising how few find that question mark by themselves, or associate it with
Help. You wouldn't expect this behavior of pros, but I don't think MS is
willing to concede the novice market.

Suggestion: Put the words HELP in all caps next to the question mark.''

"What's this" was nice, but I'd settle just for an explicit HELP. The
what's nice philosopy doesn't fit the Ribbon anyway, where most of the
keywords are hidden under the first-line tabs anyway.

I was directed here by a MVP when a prior post was criticized for being
posted in the wrong place. I found this discussion confusing because a lot
of things aren't being discussed. It is repectfully request what I'm voting
for if I hit one of those icons. If this post too is in the wrong place I
request that a MVP put it in the proper place. 'Thuse

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You have replied to an existing suggestion. If you want to post a new
suggestion, as it appears you do, you need to start a new thread and
designate it as a "Suggestion for Microsoft." Or you can vote for or against
the existing suggestion.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[thuse]

My goodness, after I hit POSTon the previous reply, the window disappeared,
and the post came back with some words interchanged. I guess in the future
I'll use a word processor to generate the post and cut and paste it here.
I'll have some proof then if it garbles something again.

The prior post is somewhat garbled, but I hope the intent is clear. If it
isn't if someone asks me to repost it I'll do so.

 

[thuse]

Never mind. The present situation provides me job security in teaching users
of your product. If you accept suggestions from people who can't figure out
the rules you could let in some valuable feedback.

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

Your first posting was perfectly clear -- but the people you're
addressing here don't work for Microsoft.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

As Peter points out, none of us here work for Microsoft. If you post a
"Suggestion for Microsoft," you are supposedly addressing MS, but they are
committed to taking notice of the post only if it receives some
predetermined number of positive votes. Those who vote (or comment) are NOT
Softies.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org