Crabby's retiring, so now what?

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Annik Stahl — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:41:43 GMT

Thanks so much for your kind, well-though out and heartfelt post, Byron. I can't express how much it means to me...but let me just say that it really captured my heart at a time that it really needed capturing on a professional level, meaning it gave me a career/professional jump-start, if you know what I mean.. I appreciate the time you took out of your obviously busy day and it's nice to know that Crabby was appreciated, read, observed, and even emulated. You know my name now (Annik Stahl), I'm on LinkedIn and Facebook and I hope to continue to write, create, and even transform what people expect from technical documentation. I hope that you will continue to follow what I do (as Annik Stahl or possibly another character with this or a different company, one never knows, even though "Crabby" herself has been "retired.").

Thank you again, Byron, and to anyone who wants to write, you still can and I will continue to help as long as I can: msftCrabby@live.com

~ Annik

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Byron Reeves — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:13:39 GMT

I know I am too late. I waited too late to express my views but would it have mattered anyway? Yet after a 10-day fishing and bow hunting workshop in the upper Michigan peninsula with 25 other F.500 CEOs who agreed with me (one of the very few things we agreed upon) I had to let it out:

You get one thing right about your online support, Microsoft: you get a REAL writer who writes about REAL things...and then you get rid of her. Why? After all that time? Do you have any idea how many people in our Fortune 500 Co.adore this writer and her subjects, not to mention the way she taught them? We made an example of this blog (AND the column) and used it when we would create our own internal or external communications: this writer taught us to make it useful AND real.

And while I can't speak to the amount of support calls and requests this blog and its predecessor, the column, cut out but I can assure you it was a decent, noticeable, measurable percentage. There is NOTHING like this on the Web now. Nothing. Certainly not in these awful Office blogs with their spate of canned, terribly-acted, amateurish "videos." Who in the hell would get rid of this perfect, encapsulated, in touch with the people, blog? Idiots. I'm sorry, that is not professional of me, but my God we mourn (and I speak for about 450 people) the passing of the Crabby Office Lady. Save your souls and bring her back.

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

aldousr — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:22:33 GMT

As a subscriber to your blogs for a number of years I must express my sorrow at the passing of Crabby Office Lady. I have found your postings helpful, insightful and amusing and often a source of much needed diversion from the stresses of office life.

Having subscribed directly to your posts I stopped as I was also subscribing to The Microsoft Office Blog and as a result found I was getting a lot of duplicate messages, as a result I did not receive your farewell message and only discovered you had left after searching to find out what had happened having assumed the initial interruption to your messages was down to the holiday season, and starting to wonder as time went on.

I for one will miss you missives as they provided a light in my life and wish you well with your future blogs under your real name.

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Annik Stahl — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:19:39 GMT

Thanks Gil and Grumpy; Grumpy: There will be no successor; the Crabby is one-of-a-kind. BUT. I will take my usual humor and writing style with me to the Outlook and Office for Mac blogs--I couldn't NOT do that even if I tried. Hope you continue to read and maybe, just maybe, use more of the features that we introduce you to.

Thanks again, guys.

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Grumpy engineer — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:27:37 GMT

Like I suspect many other Office users, I actually use a small fraction of the capabilities of two or three elements of the Office Suite, and only ever for work. (Computer at home only does e-mails, nothing else). As a consequence, many of your tips and hints are not relevant to me. However, I am an avid reader of your column because I find it entertaining. Occasionally useful, often thought-provoking but always entertaining. Thanks Crabby, I trust your successor will continue in the same vein.

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Gil Vinokoor — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:33:06 GMT

Yowzers!

First Office 365 is announced, and now this! What's next, Microsoft announcing it's buying Google? :P

Of course, it's a shame that dear old Crabby is being retired, but it's GREAT to know that Annik, the person behind the mask, will continue to write for us, entertain and educate us, and be there for us in our time of Office need.

Looking forward to your next column, where ever it may be!

Gil

p.s. Good idea to let people know about the links to your past, present, and future posts. ;)

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

Annik Stahl — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:11:45 GMT

Thanks qondile - I very much appreciate your comment and notice that it was MY NAME in that template! Wow! I had no idea. All I can say is that I hope my "salary requirements" were substantial and good enough for you. If not...size up! Ask for what you want! :-)

--Crabby

re: Crabby's retiring, so now what?

qondile — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:00:08 GMT

Noooooooooooo!!!!! I LOVE the Crabby Office Lady. I learned so much over the years... and I like the name. :(

BTW: I was wondering whose name was in my cover letter with salary requirements from Microsoft's template gallery. :)

Thank you for all the tips and Microsoft information.