Section A.2. Using Microsoft s Office Web Site


A.2. Using Microsoft's Office Web Site

You'll find the main Web site that supports Microsoft office products at http://office.microsoft.com. The home page is slickand about as helpful as a magazine ad. You need to dig a little deeper to get to the helpful features. To zero in on some more useful articles and links, click the Products tab at the top of the page. Along the left side, you find links to specific office products, including Word. Click the Word link, or go directly to the page that focuses on Word by typing http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word into the address box of your browser. The Word page changes periodically, but it usually looks something like Figure A-4.

Figure A-4. The Microsoft Word Web page provides links to articles and other resources for the program. At the bottom of the left-hand column under Additional Resources, you find a link to Discussion Groups where you can ask questions and then later come back and read the responses.


A.2.1. Discussion Groups

Discussion groups are one of the great resources of the online world. You can post a question in a discussion group and come back in a couple hours or the next day and other people will be posting answers and debating the fine points of the issue. It's an excellent way to dig deep into a subject and make some online friends in the process. You can also search through the discussion group to see if someone else has asked the same question. Type a word or a phrase in the "Search for" box near the middle of the screen (Figure A-5). After some churning, topics related to your search words appear in the center list. Click a + button to expand the topic, and then click a name to read the contents of the post.

Figure A-5. The Office discussion groups are a great resource if you have a question about Word. You can use the two columns on the left to zero in on a topic, or you can type a word or a phrase in the "Search for" box near the middle of the screen.



Tip: Before you post your question, it's good online etiquette to check the group to see if a FAQ (frequently asked questions) posting is available. Sometimes experts get annoyed when newbies ask the same question over and over.

The posts in a discussion are listed in chronological order, with the first message at the top. So, start at the top to read the question, and then work your way down the list to read the answers and other responses. Some questions will be answered quickly, with one or two on-target responses. A hot topic can result in a lengthy debate, with a dozen or so responses.

Some of the experts who participate in these discussion groups are Microsoft MVPs. For a description of Microsoft MVPs, see the box on the following page. In general, you'll find the contributions from the Microsoft MVPs both accurate and concise .

UP TO SPEED
What's a Word MVP?

One of the smarter moves Microsoft ever made was to develop a way to recognize the people who voluntarily help others. Each year Microsoft singles out a few individuals who aren't Microsoft employees and dubs them MVPs (Most Valuable Professionals). There are MVPs for all the different Microsoft products, and of course, quite a few are Word MVPs. These folks know how to make Word jump through hoops. You find them offering free advice in computer forums, discussion groups, and newsgroups, and even publishing answers to frequently asked questions on their own Web sites.

Even better, these experts are often experts in other fields in addition to knowing the mysteries of Word. One expert may understand the financial world, while another may be knowledgeable about architecture and construction. Yet another may live in France and be able to answer Word questions particular to that language. This real-world experience along with a love of Word makes MVPs a valuable resource when you have a specific or sticky question.




Word 2007[c] The Missing Manual
Word 2007[c] The Missing Manual
ISBN: 059652739X
EAN: N/A
Year: 2006
Pages: 180

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