I've just spoken with a user, who had a little difficulty in understanding what tracked changes in MS Word means. Here's a short explanation for those who don't know what I'm yapping about ((From this page.)):

Track Changes is a way for Microsoft Word to keep track of the changes you make to a document. You can then choose to accept or reject those changes.

Let's say Bill creates a document and emails it to his colleague, Lee, for feedback. Lee can edit the document with Track Changes on. When Lee sends the document back to Bill, Bill can see what changes Lee had made.

Tracked changes has to be turned on manually; they aren't enabled by default, when you're creating a new Word document. That's basically it. Simple. Here's my conversation with the user.

Niklas: IT Department, Niklas speaking. User: Hello! Now, I've got a lot of tracked changes in my document, and when I send this away, to people that aren't here, they can see the changes, am I right? N: Well, if you're using Microsoft Word and tracked changes is enabled in a document you're working with, yes, the recipient of this document will be able to see the changes made. U: Since forever? N: Since you enabled tracked changes. U: Come again? N: The recipient will be able to see the changes made since you enabled tracked changes. U: But I haven't. N: Very well; somebody else might have enabled those changes, then. U: But how do I disable--I mean, why are they enabled? Where?

A barrage of existential questions equals another day in the life of tech support!

N: A document that has tracked changes enabled retains this function even though somebody other than the author-- U: Who? Who's the author?

Stress really gets to users. For the sake of not squabbling this one away, I tried to avoid any weirdness by bullet-dodging:

N: A document that has tracked changes displays these changes no matter who opens it. U: So if I enable tracked changes in a document and send it to my boss, he'll be able to see the tracked changes as well? N: Correct.

Finally. Hallelujah.

U: But why?

I hear Morrissey's words from the end of Sorrow Will Come In The End: "Oh no".

N: If the function is enabled, it's enabled no matter who uses the document. It has to be disabled if you want to turn it off. U: But I don't have time to do that! N: You only have two--

This time the user goes up a notch, getting a tad aggravated.

U: I didn't enable this shit, so I shouldn't have to turn it off for every. single. document that has this enabled! It just doesn't make sense, does it, or should I just give up? N: Morally, I somewhat agree with you, but the fact remains-- U: Can you do this for me? N: Disable tracked changes? U: Yes. N: Of course I can show you how to, so that you can do it yourself. U: That would be great.

I showed the user how to disable tracked changes per document.

N: So there, now you can do this by yourself! U: So...will you now do this for every departmental document we have, that has tracked changes enabled? N: Em, sorry, but no. U: Why not? N: Because I can only learn you how to do this, but I cannot do it for any other existing documents you may have.

Five seconds of silence passes.

U: I don't have the time to do it myself. N: Well, then only two options remain. U: Which are? N: Either somebody else does it for you, or the tracked changes remain.

Five seconds of silence passes again. The user now applies a childish, whiny voice:

U: Caaan't you do it, pleeease? N: No, I'm sorry.

The user sighs. Twice.

N: So, that's how you do it. U: OK. Thanks. Then I'll get to it. N: Great. Thank you for calling! U: Thank you.

After hanging up, I felt like a father who's just just told his daughter to clean up her room herself as she's the one who turned it into a pig-sty in the first place.