QuickParts not a substitute for Autocorrect>Autotext

[Greg Gates]

RECAP OF WHAT WE POSTED BACK ON 052906

Situation in the past:
For Outlook 2003, we would go Tools>Autocorrect>Autotext to find our stored
text information. For 2007, can't find it or our data of a lot of stored
information?

Explanation of what we did:
We used Autocorrect>Autotext as a method to store hundreds paragraphs of
text to be used in the body of a response message. These paragraphs, some
including images, are use to respond to customers addressing a specific topic
(ie responding to a person asking a question we have answered in detail
before).

For example, someone may ask about a diamond's clarity and what does it
mean? So we had a page of text (in Autocorrect>Autotext ) explaining that
topic in detail.

To type this text every time for every response, would be time consuming and
not very cost effective. So we would just go to "Autocorrect>Autotext" pick
the topic titled "Diamond's clarity detailed explanation with images
042705rev" The 042705 being the date we last revised the response text. We
then inserted it into the body of the message.

Questions for the difference between 2003 and 2007:
I can't find our Autocorrect>Autotext entries on Outlook 2007 or Word 2007
anywhere (which I think were part of the normal.dot file in Word 2003).

Please don't tell us this is a feature that just went away without warning?
Or instructions as to how to migrate it? If so we just lost hundreds of
hours of text and revisions. My guess is we are not the only ones using the
2003 Word/Outlook Autocorrect>Autotext function this way.

Help:
Is there a way to migrate all our Autocorrect>Autotext 2003 entries, or is
that hundreds of hours keying over the past several years lost forever?




AS OF TODAY 060406

Much of the feedback we received in this forum, suggested using the new 2007
QuickParts as a replacement. So we did just that!
And after doing that................
We really want to suggest to Microsoft they reconsider including the
Autocorrect>Autotext functionality into 2007.




-Bottom line, 2007 QuickParts does not even come close to the ease
and functionality of Outlook 2003 (and ealier versions)
Autocorrect>Autotext.
-2007 QuickParts is not easy to work with.
-We painfully manually keyed in/added 60 of our
2003 Autocorrect>Autotext entries.
-Over the past 5 days, we used the 2007 QuickParts function
in our e-commerce business e-mail customer correspondence
to access the 60 stored entries. So we used it hands-on!
-Accessing each entry in 2007 QuickParts is nowhere near the ease
of 2003 Outlook Autocorrect>Autotext! In fact 2007 QuickParts
is very very very very difficult to use.
-The hardest thing using 2007 QuickParts is accessing each individual
entry of the 60 QuickParts we stored .
-In 2003 Autocorrect>Autotext, it was so very easy to access any one of our
individual entries of stored text. Just start keying the first words,
and it filled in all the rest (or you could go retrieve it easily via a
button).
-2007 QuickParts is cumbersome and extremely awkward to use.




SUGGESTIONS
[1] Please Microsoft, bring back the function of 2003 Autocorrect>Autotext.
[2] Build some conversion function to bring into 2007 all the 2003
Autocorrect>Autotext entries
[3] OR build some tool to be able to quickly access the individual entries
stored in 2007 QuickParts. It will take us hours to repopulate all the
Autotext entries manually, but at least we will not lose the entire function
that 2003 Autocorrect>Autotext provided small business and e-commerce
businesses.



Thank you for listening!

Regards,

Greg Gates
www.ringdesigner.com



--
Greg Gates
Co founder
www.ringdesigner.com

----------------
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...644f7bf29&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general

 

[BillR [MVP]]

Since the quikparts and previous auto-text are Word features implemented in
Outlook you might like to post this suggestion to the Word group as well.

--
Bill R MVP

RECAP OF WHAT WE POSTED BACK ON 052906

Situation in the past:
For Outlook 2003, we would go Tools>Autocorrect>Autotext to find our
stored
text information. For 2007, can't find it or our data of a lot of stored
information?

Explanation of what we did:
We used Autocorrect>Autotext as a method to store hundreds paragraphs of
text to be used in the body of a response message. These paragraphs, some
including images, are use to respond to customers addressing a specific
topic
(ie responding to a person asking a question we have answered in detail
before).

For example, someone may ask about a diamond's clarity and what does it
mean? So we had a page of text (in Autocorrect>Autotext ) explaining that
topic in detail.

To type this text every time for every response, would be time consuming
and
not very cost effective. So we would just go to "Autocorrect>Autotext"
pick
the topic titled "Diamond's clarity detailed explanation with images
042705rev" The 042705 being the date we last revised the response text.
We
then inserted it into the body of the message.

Questions for the difference between 2003 and 2007:
I can't find our Autocorrect>Autotext entries on Outlook 2007 or Word 2007
anywhere (which I think were part of the normal.dot file in Word 2003).

Please don't tell us this is a feature that just went away without
warning?
Or instructions as to how to migrate it? If so we just lost hundreds of
hours of text and revisions. My guess is we are not the only ones using
the
2003 Word/Outlook Autocorrect>Autotext function this way.

Help:
Is there a way to migrate all our Autocorrect>Autotext 2003 entries, or is
that hundreds of hours keying over the past several years lost forever?




AS OF TODAY 060406

Much of the feedback we received in this forum, suggested using the new
2007
QuickParts as a replacement. So we did just that!
And after doing that................
We really want to suggest to Microsoft they reconsider including the
Autocorrect>Autotext functionality into 2007.




-Bottom line, 2007 QuickParts does not even come close to the ease
and functionality of Outlook 2003 (and ealier versions)
Autocorrect>Autotext.
-2007 QuickParts is not easy to work with.
-We painfully manually keyed in/added 60 of our
2003 Autocorrect>Autotext entries.
-Over the past 5 days, we used the 2007 QuickParts function
in our e-commerce business e-mail customer correspondence
to access the 60 stored entries. So we used it hands-on!
-Accessing each entry in 2007 QuickParts is nowhere near the ease
of 2003 Outlook Autocorrect>Autotext! In fact 2007 QuickParts
is very very very very difficult to use.
-The hardest thing using 2007 QuickParts is accessing each individual
entry of the 60 QuickParts we stored .
-In 2003 Autocorrect>Autotext, it was so very easy to access any one of
our
individual entries of stored text. Just start keying the first words,
and it filled in all the rest (or you could go retrieve it easily via
a
button).
-2007 QuickParts is cumbersome and extremely awkward to use.




SUGGESTIONS
[1] Please Microsoft, bring back the function of 2003
Autocorrect>Autotext.
[2] Build some conversion function to bring into 2007 all the 2003
Autocorrect>Autotext entries
[3] OR build some tool to be able to quickly access the individual entries
stored in 2007 QuickParts. It will take us hours to repopulate all the
Autotext entries manually, but at least we will not lose the entire
function
that 2003 Autocorrect>Autotext provided small business and e-commerce
businesses.



Thank you for listening!

Regards,

Greg Gates
www.ringdesigner.com



--
Greg Gates
Co founder
www.ringdesigner.com

----------------
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...644f7bf29&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general

 

[Greg Gates]

Since the QuickParts and previous auto-text are Word features implemented in
Outlook you might like to post this suggestion to the Word group as well.

Thank you Bill. Your advise has always been a quick reply, but most
importantly very sound.

We posted on the Word group as well. Hope there might be a ground swell
regarding Autocorrect>Autotext deletion, versus QuickParts functionary as a
substitute.

Warmest regards,

Greg Gates
www.ringdesigner.com

 

[Greg Gates]

“When I think Microsoft is getting just too darn big, I get surprised.â€
Original Thread subject posted as: “QuickParts not a substitute for
Autocorrect>Autotextâ€

"BillR [MVP]"

I have been meaning to post this message, and just have not had to
opportunity.

Sometimes when I think Microsoft is getting just too darn big, and
forgetting where they started from, I get surprised.

About three weeks ago, the person (do not want to name in an open forum)
who is in charge of the QuickParts, Autotext function for the Office 2007
beta, e-mailed to set up a call to discuss the points I had been addressing
in this forum.

We talked for about 45 minutes. He asked great questions and gave me the
opportunity to present all my concerns and recommendations. Not sure what
will come of it, but to have them contact me after posting here is amazing.

I will post this as a new thread as well on both the Outlook and Word
forums, as the subject is connected to both.

Bottom-line, I have to admit, I was impressed Microsoft took the time. My
take at it, is [1] they still care what the user thinks, [2] they do review
this forum and [3] they want as good a product as possible.

Pretty kewl huh?

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Hi Greg,

About three weeks ago, the person (do not want to name in an open forum)
who is in charge of the QuickParts, Autotext function for the Office 2007
beta, e-mailed to set up a call to discuss the points I had been addressing
in this forum.

We talked for about 45 minutes. He asked great questions and gave me the
opportunity to present all my concerns and recommendations. Not sure what
will come of it, but to have them contact me after posting here is amazing.

It is really cool that they called you!

I will post this as a new thread as well on both the Outlook and Word
forums, as the subject is connected to both.

Bottom-line, I have to admit, I was impressed Microsoft took the time. My
take at it, is [1] they still care what the user thinks, [2] they do review
this forum and [3] they want as good a product as possible.

Let me spill the beans on 2 a bit Your post summarized the state of
the QuickParts feature so well from the point of a user, that I decided
to just copy & paste it into the private beta newsgroup for Word. That's
probably where MS read it. MS employees read all messages in the beta
newsgroup, but prob. almost none of the messages here (there are just
too many to follow).
I am glad they contacted you and you were able to get your concerns
across. Knowing MS, if your concerns get addressed in 2007, you prob.
will not see many changes in the next beta. Bigger changes take them
longer than just a few weeks/months to make (next beta is scheduled for
the end of the summer, whenever that is). So even if the next beta
doesn't improve the behavior for you, don't give up as it still might
show up.

Patrick Schmid