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I don't get why Excel specifically gets so much bashing. It is an excellent tool, a very versatile tool. The problem lies with the users, as always. This hasn't

by meztez 14y ago

I don't get why Excel specifically gets so much bashing. It is an excellent tool, a very versatile tool. The problem lies with the users, as always. This hasn't changed. It's just that the customer base is enormous compare to other tools. Excel can do marvels in the right hands. I could use something else because I'm literate with a larger set of tools than my peers in the actuarial world, but again, to what point if I'm the only one who can reproduce what I did. In Excel, it's pretty easy to track back what was done. Excel strength lies in its ability to empower me with tool to produce a reproducible report in a matter of minutes from database output to presentation. Stop complaining about Excel and start teaching to people how to use it properly.

mmphosis 14y ago
(rant My training session begins and ends with "Stop using Excel." because Excel sucks. Blaming "the user" because they don't how to use it properly is no excuse for this bloated piece of awful software. I've been using and abusing Excel for decades and there are too many things that are wrong with Excel. Here are three of my major beefs... - cutting/copying and pasting, I think I need to press enter to make that rectangle go away. - sort. Oops, you only sorted the first column, but you didn't notice that, and a week later you notice something isn't quite right with "the data" - so many things from a UI experience that could be dead simple, but feel like advanced gymnastics LibreOffice brings no improvement, it simply duplicates the terrible experience of using Excel. And unfortunately the innovations of spreadsheets from the very very distance past are dead: Visicalc, Lotus 1-2-3, Resolve, Wingz, and many others are long gone. So no I won't stop complaining about Excel. This is a pain point and maybe there is an opportunity to create a killer spreadsheet app / web app that does not require someone to "train" "the user" "how to use it properly", but I am not holding my breath. )
- pestaa 14y ago
  You bring up lots of good points, but your training would sound a lot better as "start learning Excel." There is no software you can not shoot yourself in the foot with. There's no point in switching when people will certainly misuse other applications as well.
  - mmphosis 14y ago
    You are right. The only way to learn is by making mistakes.

by meztez 14y ago

mmphosis 14y ago

(rant My training session begins and ends with "Stop using Excel." because Excel sucks. Blaming "the user" because they don't how to use it properly is no excuse for this bloated piece of awful software. I've been using and abusing Excel for decades and there are too many things that are wrong with Excel. Here are three of my major beefs... - cutting/copying and pasting, I think I need to press enter to make that rectangle go away. - sort. Oops, you only sorted the first column, but you didn't notice that, and a week later you notice something isn't quite right with "the data" - so many things from a UI experience that could be dead simple, but feel like advanced gymnastics LibreOffice brings no improvement, it simply duplicates the terrible experience of using Excel. And unfortunately the innovations of spreadsheets from the very very distance past are dead: Visicalc, Lotus 1-2-3, Resolve, Wingz, and many others are long gone. So no I won't stop complaining about Excel. This is a pain point and maybe there is an opportunity to create a killer spreadsheet app / web app that does not require someone to "train" "the user" "how to use it properly", but I am not holding my breath. )

pestaa 14y ago
You bring up lots of good points, but your training would sound a lot better as "start learning Excel." There is no software you can not shoot yourself in the foot with. There's no point in switching when people will certainly misuse other applications as well.
- mmphosis 14y ago
  You are right. The only way to learn is by making mistakes.