Do you remember when spreadsheets weren't full of unwanted "advice?" Google may have reinvented Bob/Clippy.

[usonian]

From a sad Google Sheets user (I can't verity this)



And then there's Copilot and Google AI and everyone else's AI, all intruding.

So far, I think that Linux/Open Source is unaffected, but does RedHat want to? .... Oh No.

RHEL 10 Beta: Get Ready For A Generative AI Powered Linux Experience
https://ostechnix.com/rhel-10-beta/

[canetoad]

1. Not only do I remember it

But I still use Office 2003 every so often. If it aint broke....yadda yadda

[roscoeroscoe]

2. Can you use it safely nowadays?

My wife loved the Clippy/Doggie, and asked me if I could get the doggie for her on the computer. I said no... but I'd love to be wrong.

[canetoad]

4. Not sure what you mean by 'safely'

It's a word processing program, and I use it as such. I tend to not need much help from outside sources to accomplish my goals in Word and therefore am not connected to any online sources of help or formatting while I'm using the program.

If you have an old copy of office ( you may not even need a reg. key for it), just install and use as you like. Twenty year old software??? Works just fine. Don't buy into the update game until you absolutely HAVE to.

If you are not a Power office user (maybe a legal office, a gov. department ) the whole update thing is bullshit. If all you want and need is a simple world processor, Office 2000 is the program for you.

[roscoeroscoe]

3. Clippy!

With all the dumb AI personas worked up by our tech giants, Microsoft has the unique change to introduce one of these consumer level AI type helpers - Clippy! Doggie! People who miss the days of Clippy would love it. Like my wife. She pretty much hates technology, but loved Clippy