Discussion Groups for Different Office Suites

[Gillian]

Would it be possible to make it mandatory to include the version of Office
used when posting a question? For example, a drop-down list or radio button
to answer 'which version of Office/Word/Excel/etc. are you using?' When
searching for solutions, it is not always clear from posts what versions are
being discussed and whether that solution would apply to the version I am
using. Simply putting 2003 or 2007 (I use both in different locations) into
the current search box doesn't work as this information is not always
included in the original posts. If it were a mandatory part of posting a
query it would be a great help. Many of the solutions to one version do not
necessarily apply to another version and a lot of time can be wasted trying
to work through posts that are no help at all; particularly, I find,
regarding Outlook. Thanks.

----------------
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/com...-dc2eb97d4879&dg=microsoft.public.office.misc

 

[Beth Melton]

Would it be possible to make it mandatory to include the version of Office
used when posting a question? For example, a drop-down list or radio
button
to answer 'which version of Office/Word/Excel/etc. are you using?' When
searching for solutions, it is not always clear from posts what versions
are
being discussed and whether that solution would apply to the version I am
using. Simply putting 2003 or 2007 (I use both in different locations)
into
the current search box doesn't work as this information is not always
included in the original posts. If it were a mandatory part of posting a
query it would be a great help. Many of the solutions to one version do
not
necessarily apply to another version and a lot of time can be wasted
trying
to work through posts that are no help at all; particularly, I find,
regarding Outlook. Thanks.

This would be a great suggestion if everyone who posted here used the same
interface as you are using but they don't. What you are seeing is not a
private forum. You're seeing what Microsoft created to access NNTP
newsgroups from a web browser on their web site. Folks can use a newsreader,
such as Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail, or any number of web sites to
read and post to the newsgroups. Google Groups, for example, is another
means of accessing them. Here's this post viewed in Google Groups:
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.office.misc/browse_thread/thread/eeb37800a5bc79fa
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Melton
What is a Microsoft MVP? http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/gp/mvpfaqs

Guides for the Office 2007 Interface:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/training/HA102295841033.aspx

 

[Harlan Grove]

Would it be possible to make it mandatory to include the version of Office
used when posting a question? . . .

It'd only apply to people who'd post using Microsoft's browser-based
newsgroup portal like yourself. People like me who use other browser-
based portals or use newsreaders and access these newsgroups via NNTP
would be able to post without specifying version.

Also, this would severely fragment responses. For Excel at least,
nearly all questions about formulas, charting, pivot tables, VBA
programming, add-in (COM/XLL) programming are common to all versions,
even 2007. Very little would be gained but much could be lost by
compartmentalizing threads by version. The same is mostly true for
Access. The UI is the only place there are major changes between 2003
and prior vs 2007 and later.

This may be otherwise for other Office programs, but as I mentioned in
my first paragraph, your suggestion can't be universally implemented.

 

[DL]

Wont work since many peoples access the groups via a newsreader and not the
crappy webb interface

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

This would be a great suggestion if everyone who posted here used the same
interface as you are using but they don't.

True. But it'd save everyone a lot of time if MS would at the very least implement something like
this for the interfaces they *do* control.

They do this in the Mac groups, in fact (different interface yet again, granted). Quite a few
posts include the product and OS versions.

Handy to know. If it's irrelevant to the question, it's easy enough to ignore and saves having to
ask and wait for a response when it IS relevant.

It wouldn't work for everyone, but for those it'd work for, it'd work.
Kinda like putting up speed limit signs. They're generally not a bad idea, even though not
everyone pays attention to 'em.