Word 2007 customizations vs Word 2010: Questions and Rant

[Deborah Hemstreet <dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com>]

Hi All,

This post is going to be full of questions, and not a few rants. 
Everyone on this list has been so helpful in the past, and I am hopeful 
that someone will have a nice quick and dirty solution for me.

Let me start with MY solution, and then I'll give you background.

*Solution: *Tomorrow I am taking my laptop to work with me. I will 
finish developing a Word template in Word 2003. I will then transfer it 
to Word 2007 where I will fine-tune it and verify that everything needed 
is located on the Add-Ins tab, and then deploy the template for use by 
people in my work group.

Background: I quite naively began my new job on Windows 7 with Office 
2007. "No Big" I thought to myself. I've seen the rants and raves in 
previous postings, I'll manage with a bit of internet research.
    Research 1: Windows 7 (and VISTA) corrupted the SendKeys VBA code. 
No problem, someone kindly shared their custom code to help me get the 
desired functionality.
    Research 2: Word 7 Ribbon is not easily customizable without MAJOR 
programming, and the need to deeply analyze all code examples on the web 
to come up with the custom code to make a ribbon you want, in your 
template (still fuzzy on if it will really carry through to the 
template). No problem, I'll put all my customizations on the Quick 
Access Toolbar (QAT).
    Research 3: The QAT is machine specific, not template specific. In 
Word 2010 I can export those settings, but again, it will take ALL my 
customizations, not customizations that I want only when working in a 
particular template.
    Research 4: The Ribbon Customizer add-on again is machine specific, 
and will let me export only ALL changes, not specific ones, and the Help 
doesn't exist to advise if I can export to a template only.
    Research 5: Microsoft unashamedly advises that you can work with 
CODE in their new VB programs, and other tools to customize the Ribbon.
    Research 6: No one seems to be publically up in arms that Microsoft 
has completely removed control of the RIbbon and QAT from templates and 
users in any simple, easy to implement way.

RANT: Am I the only person on this planet who is upset that I have to 
work in Word 2003 to make a template that does what I want in Word 2007? 
Am I the only person who thinks that Microsoft has become insanely 
greedy in changing the way customizations are made, so that we have 
become dependent on advanced programmers and software add-ins? I am a 
technical communicator, not a technical programmer. I bit the bullet and 
learned VBA. Not an expert, but enough to get the job done. But now, 
what I have to do to make a template in Word 2007 or 2010 do what it did 
in 2003 is absolutely ridiculous. WHY? What is the purpose?

Please someone, tell me I'm totally wrong and that there really is an 
easy simple way to make user-friendly easy to deploy templates. Or, 
publically share your solutions to help others and defeat the beast that 
only wants to make money out of these changes and couldn't care less 
about ease of use.

Thanks for listening! I simply had to rant on this... but deep down 
inside, am also hoping I'm completely wrong and that there really is a 
better solution for me than taking my computer to work tomorrow.

Deborah
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