Into The Orafice

by Budly

Computer stuff is all interrelated. Hardware cannot work without software. Data files (like letters or spreadsheets) cannot divulge their information without their related applications – Microsoft Word or Excel – to either create or read them. Monitors cannot show images without CPU's and video cards and software. You get the idea. . .

The RAM bone is connected to the Mo' (mother) bone (board). The video bone is connected to the floppy bone. The see-dee bone is connected to the audio bone... and so on.

So to find isolated topics is almost a phenomenon. . .

Today's item of isolation: Microsoft's Orafice, sorry, Office. . . specifically, the default set-up.

This is yet another classic example of the compelling need to gather all of the fight-jock, hot-shot programmers into a single Ames-chair-filled conference room and pose the eternal question:

What were you thinking?

If you could just give the planet an inkling of the process you had in mind, maybe we could all embrace it.

Here's the deal. . . and yes, it is nit-picky. . .

When an Office application (PowerPoint, Word, Excel) launches for the first time on your computer, there are chevrons – "»" – (little double arrows) at the bottom of the pull-down menus. After a brief pause or a click on the chevrons, the rest of the pull-down menu appears.

Yes, this is a silly little thing, but mind you, this is business productivity software that (basically) DELAYS getting to work... and to compound the incomprehensibility of the situation, this particular set-up component is adjustable:

Tools » Customize » General – then uncheck, "Show menu after a short delay" and check, "Always show full menu".

Most businesses prefer getting to work rather than getting to work after a short delay.

But hey, this is Microsoft business productivity software, so why rush off to work?

Get a cup of coffee.

Butter your english muffin.

Check your voice mail.

Make a paper airplane.

Sharpen a pencil or two.

IM.

Let's see what else can get done instead of the job. . .