Word 2007

I think I'll like the new ribbon UI when I get around to it. My problem with Word as it stands is probably trivial for most people, but it's my problem. The problem is that in Page Layout view and using Balloon comments, the text with a comment attached his highlighted in the colour associated with the reviewer who created the comment.

It's a nice idea - I had to implement something similar in VBA for myself in Word 2002 - but not when there are LOTS of comments - the page just becomes unreadable. Unfortunately, IT (The Book) now has about ~4000 embedded comments and consequently the screen is like an explosion in a paint factory.

What I have suggested - but who's listening? - is that this is precisely the sort of feature what should be under user control - Highlight Always, When Selected, Never - the sort of options provided for Field highlighting.

I had a long debate with others about what should or should not be implemented as an "option", but I am still firmly of the opinion that the developer should not be overzealous in second guessing the user - don't ask "Why on earth would anyone want to do that?", or "This is sooo good we must make the user do work this way!", just make sure you don't deliberately close off choices unless they are meaningless or harmful i.e. (pace my old biology teacher, Mr Baron I think was his name) likely to lead to the application equivalent of "Blindness, Sterility or Death".

When I can work out how to install Office 2007 alongside Office 2002 to use Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint 2007 but leave me Word 2002 I'll let you know... last time I tried the Office 2007 install alongside Office 2002 a lot of things - mostly shortcuts - were "altered" in undesired ways.

But, we live in hope.