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General discussion

Why have forums about Microsoft software at all?

Mar 22, 2007 3:39AM PDT

I go on these forums hoping that someone out there has insight or an answer about some little annoyance with Windows, Office, etc.

More often than not (and worse, by a moderator usually) I get an answer like "Microsoft is buggy, replace it" or "use Open Office".

There are plenty of places I can go to to complain about the bugginess of Microsoft products yet how "the world" doesn't use alternatives en masse. That's not why I come here (unless there's a forum specifically for that purpose for me to go to). I'd rather get no answer in that instance and it's kind of turning me away from these forums and CNet in general.

Discussion is locked

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As a Moderator,
Mar 22, 2007 6:35AM PDT

perhaps as a Moderator myself I am not best placed to answer your criticism, and so please disregard this if you wish.

However, in your post you didn't make clear why, in particular, you felt you had to post in the Forum Feedback, and that may leave others confused.

If I am right, then this leads from your post in the Microsoft Office forum;
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=29&threadID=239539&messageID=2438286

I can only say what I feel is the position.

There is plenty of good help and advice given in the Microsoft Office forum, as in the other forums CNET administers. But, at times, even Microsoft products beat us. There are times when the M$ products we use simply do not do everything we may want or need at any given time, or sometimes they are, just, *buggy*.

Your post raised the issue that more often than not you get an answer like "Microsoft is buggy". You are likely to get such an answer there more than in any other of CNET's forums because that forum is for Microsoft Office products. So any deficiencies in any of Microsoft's applications are more likely to surface there than anywhere else.

In general though, I use Microsoft Office all day everyday, and although I am not an Office expert, I am now a user who attempts to push Office to it's limits in some ways. I used to be surprised that Office had limits, but I am surprised no longer. That's not a criticism, just an awareness that Office does have limits.

It's like Bob says, (in your discussion over there), Microsoft is like the Chevy, There's a lot of them, but they are not high end products. Microsoft does a pretty good job in bringing multiple different applications to many users, but they are not all specialised apps, and sometimes we can do better with applications from different sources.

Perhaps all this doesn't help you with your particular Office problem, but perhaps you are in the same situation as I am. You are pushing the Office products you use to its limits.

Mark

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This might help
Mar 22, 2007 10:12AM PDT

I do NOT frequent the Microsoft Office forum.

I'm understanding that your v-card is not going along when you forward it, if I'm reading this correctly.

Your v-card is usually sent as an attachment, indirectly. What you need to do is go to Options and look for the part that tells you, do not remove attachments. I se many emails that when they get them, it removes the attachments and pictures and all you get are words. It could also have something to do with viewing the email in html but the more I think about this, I would start by looking for the setting

Tools

options

security

uncheck the box, Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that potentially be a virus.

This setting had blocked Microsoft Works Documents for me in the past.


Hope this helps.


Rick

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Thanks but wrong issue
Mar 22, 2007 10:31PM PDT

Problem is what is shown in the "display as field". When you first create the card, it shows the name and the email address, but it seems once you save and forward it it only shows the email address there. Thanks though.

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I tried it with
Mar 23, 2007 9:11AM PDT

Outlook Express and It showed up as a card there, before sending it.

I opened it with Mozilla Thunderbird, it showed up as a name and email address but, there was a card there. If I clicked on the card, all the information was tere.


Rick

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Guilty as charged.
Mar 23, 2007 12:51PM PDT

I finally saw the issue firsthand. How do you fix that one?

Microsoft has the code under lock and key and not a tweak in sight via MSDN or the Office Developer's Kit.

-> I know it's not nice to ask but I think you claimed a hundred fold licenses. Given the thousands you've ponied up why isn't Microsoft being called on these bugs?

Bob