When I write a column I have, or rather 'had', several choices under the "Insert | Autotext | Normal" menu option. These choices would insert a layout ready to be filled with my golden, timeless prose appropriate for whatever I was going to pen … er, key.

That was until about a week ago. Suddenly, the result of clicking on "Insert | Autotext | Normal" was the message telling me to "Sign in to Office Live Workspace beta" to access this feature. I wouldn't mind that so much if all of my Autotext entries were still available, but nope, that message is all that appears under that menu item. Microsoft has usurped, nay, stolen, some key functionality of Word. Did it ask or warn me? No.

I uninstalled Office Live Workspace Beta in the full expectation that my menu options would be reinstated. Ha. Uninstall, reboot, launch Word, check the menu … same message. I still get an identical message but now the option does absolutely nothing. I have no idea why uninstalling didn't work. Perhaps I forgot to sacrifice a chicken or say the right incantation.

Microsoft apparently hasn't figured out that this kind of high-handed usurping of functionality is a huge breach of trust (which implies that Microsoft is being either simply evil or simply negligent). As a software publisher you can't just change how your software works in such a way that some service you are promoting becomes obligatory. Well, at least you can't unless you want to annoy a lot of people.

This kind of behavior is even more unacceptable when your users have invested time and effort in organizing how the software is configured. Then your new "initiative" obstructs their workflow.