4 ms·

Yes! And I remember that the official recommendation from MS was "do not write begin at the start of a line".

by gpderetta 2y ago

ale42 2y ago
Typical MS...
- anthk 2y ago
  Excel bugs forced scientists to rename genomes...
  - otherme123 2y ago
    I don't like Excel, but 1) it is a true feature when used as intended in a finantial environment and 2) you shouldn't use Excel to fiddle with genetic data, learn proper tooling, you are supposed to be a pro. Still I think changing user data silently is an error. This is known since at least 2004, with workarounds (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2105-5-80 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2105-5-80), yet people still use Excel instead of learning a bit about proper data storage. In my lab I sent a mail with the steps to harden Excel against this "bug". Want to guess how many did it? Zero.
    - TeMPOraL 2y ago
      > proper data storage Excel is second after Access for bottom-up developed data storage. And since Access is all but gone, it's absolutely not surprising people reach for Excel.
gitgud 2y ago
So MS recommended to “stop using the word begin at the beginning of a new line”… insanity I would love to see a link for this, blows my mind!
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- xeeeeeeeeeeenu 2y ago
  Here's an archived version of the Microsoft Knowledge Base article about the bug: Outlook Express: https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/265230 https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_K... Outlook: https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/260822 https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_K...
  - tivert 2y ago
    Apparently they think it's easier to change the English language than fix their buggy code. Seems sensible.
    - gpderetta 2y ago
      To be fair it is listed as workaround, pending an actual fix.
      - wongarsu 2y ago
        And to be fair in normal English orthography the word begin is never followed by two spaces. This is more like Microsoft wanting everyone to write proper English than Microsoft wanting to change the English language
        hostyle 2y ago
        I have vague memories of it being a Microsoft thing to insert two spaces at the end of every sentence? I could be misremembering. The bug here was not "begin" followed by two spaces, but rather its "begin" followed by some other text followed by two spaces, which if i recall correctly is exactly what Microsoft would auto-format your text to.
    - TeMPOraL 2y ago

Yes! And I remember that the official recommendation from MS was "do not write begin at the start of a line".

ale42 2y ago

Typical MS...

anthk 2y ago
Excel bugs forced scientists to rename genomes...
- otherme123 2y ago
  I don't like Excel, but 1) it is a true feature when used as intended in a finantial environment and 2) you shouldn't use Excel to fiddle with genetic data, learn proper tooling, you are supposed to be a pro. Still I think changing user data silently is an error. This is known since at least 2004, with workarounds (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2105-5-80 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2105-5-80), yet people still use Excel instead of learning a bit about proper data storage. In my lab I sent a mail with the steps to harden Excel against this "bug". Want to guess how many did it? Zero.
  - TeMPOraL 2y ago
    > proper data storage Excel is second after Access for bottom-up developed data storage. And since Access is all but gone, it's absolutely not surprising people reach for Excel.

gitgud 2y ago

So MS recommended to “stop using the word begin at the beginning of a new line”… insanity I would love to see a link for this, blows my mind!

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
xeeeeeeeeeeenu 2y ago
Here's an archived version of the Microsoft Knowledge Base article about the bug: Outlook Express: https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/265230 https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_K... Outlook: https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_KB_Archive/260822 https://www.betaarchive.com/wiki/index.php?title=Microsoft_K...
- tivert 2y ago
  Apparently they think it's easier to change the English language than fix their buggy code. Seems sensible.
  - gpderetta 2y ago
    To be fair it is listed as workaround, pending an actual fix.
    - wongarsu 2y ago
      And to be fair in normal English orthography the word begin is never followed by two spaces. This is more like Microsoft wanting everyone to write proper English than Microsoft wanting to change the English language
      - hostyle 2y ago
        I have vague memories of it being a Microsoft thing to insert two spaces at the end of every sentence? I could be misremembering. The bug here was not "begin" followed by two spaces, but rather its "begin" followed by some other text followed by two spaces, which if i recall correctly is exactly what Microsoft would auto-format your text to.
  - TeMPOraL 2y ago