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The article has now been edited to note that Excel now offers a toggle to turn this feature off. How long did the entire genetics community struggle with this
by smeej 3y ago
The article has now been edited to note that Excel now offers a toggle to turn this feature off.
How long did the entire genetics community struggle with this problem before deciding to rename a bunch of genes, making their own data harder to search, without just...asking Microsoft to add a new toggle for their use case?
- lloydatkinson 3y agoHas anyone ever had any luck asking a large organisation, such as Microsoft, for anything good or meaningful changes? Without a huge controversy or media outcry?
- __s 3y agoI've seen it happen internally over years of sweat & tears A few large customers can move things on specific products if they're able to escalate their support ticket into talking to the right developer
- Retr0id 3y agoGetting media attention is the fast path if you can manage it, and even that took over 3 years, based on the dates mentioned.
- waffleiron 3y agoIt has always been an option, however it's easy to miss it's happening when it happens to a really small subset of genes you are importing into an excel sheet. Most of the time people just don't pay attention, and excel does whatever is useful for most people (i.e. not biologists). Worked in bioinformatics in the past, and I think this is just an issue with people not knowing it did happen. You have many new biologists joining the field every day, people are going to mess up if the standard excel option is conversion.
- DonsDiscountGas 3y agoIt has not always been an option, at least not one that's easy to find.
- sandworm101 3y agoA consumer asking Microsoft for a feature? Thats like asking a mountain to build you a house. Ask all you want. The mountain is physically unable to comprehend your existance, let alone address your concerns. I want an "always on top" feature for the default windows interface i am forced to use at work. Never going to happen. I want to remove all thise stupid references to 3d objects and VR that clutter some windows menues. Also never going to happen. A mountain doesnt have the ears needed to hear my requests.
- heckelson 3y agoRegarding the always on top: Microsoft PowerToys includes a module that can pin windows to the top, maybe that would help with that?
- DonsDiscountGas 3y agoAbout 20 years. And people have been begging Microsoft to add that toggle the entire time. It apparently took longer than naming the genes did. If you're having a problem, "just ask Microsoft" is about the worst possible plan to try and get it fixed. They don't GAF. And why should they? It's not like it cost them any money. Even if everybody stopped using Excel for data involving gene names they're not gonna stop using it entirely.
- smeej 3y agoI'm just thinking the entire genetics community has to be gigantic, and they can't be the only ones with frustration about an auto-changing feature. Surely lots of somebodies in genetics know somebodies at Microsoft who might be arsed to surface a relatively simple toggle.