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Why is Microsoft Word??? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 2 weeks ago by ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml to c/comradeship@lemmygrad.ml

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As a sweaty loser, all my adult life if I had to emit a document I either used LaTeX or Pandoc (which also uses LaTeX). LaTeX is its own can of worms (strange syntax, unwelcoming for newcomers, not easy to install, etc.) but if it's weird, it's weird in a way that I can wrap my head around.

For a group project we are using Microsoft Word, the online version, because I don't have it in me to extol the virtues of LaTeX or Typst to non-tech people. We are using the online version because of the collaboration thing also because no one wants to buy Office.

It's such a strange piece of software. Like what I am trying to do right now is this: semantically designate headings and subheadings to automatically number them and generate a table of content. But it just won't work and I have no idea why because it doesn't say anything.

When I am trying to number headings manually, it sees and understands what my intention it and turns into a numbered list, changes the number to "1.". To work around this I have to add "a6." then remove the "a".

I am sure that Word veterans are horrified that I am doing everything wrong. I am accept your accusations with humility and grace. But I just want to be done with.

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[–] none@hexbear.net 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It has happened to me also, that I have my nerdy good way of doing things, but then when forced to work with more common tools, I am stumped. Even when the supposedly less techy people around me have no problem. (Sometimes it is because they don't known enough to attempt an advanced feature like automatically generating a TOC. They don't know about how to apply headings, therefor do not encounter the incorrect behavior.)

Suggest that you just need to apply the same skills that enabled you to learn your fancy latex, to use the pedestrian Word. Read the documentation and/or web search. MS generally has good documentation available. And since it's very popular, there are a million 3rd party resources.

I think this is the solution to your problem: How to turn off automatic creation of bulleted and numbered lists - Microsoft Word 365.

I'll be honest, at home and for my own purposes, I use LibreOffice. But when using communally-provided non-linux devices, or to facilitate collaboration, I will use mainstream products pragmatically. MS Office tends not to be too bad, not nearly as noxious as Windows. Word kind of grew on me. The UI has some advantages. But I haven't used it in a while so who knows what AI has done to it.

[–] ksynwa@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago

It's a complicated problem space so I understand if Word has rough edges even if it is built and maintained by a monopolistic corporation that has limitless money at its disposal.