Who the fuck do these people think they are?

Gathering up some data from different sources into an Excel file.
Went as far with it as I could, then took a break.
Came back after an hour, opened the file, and got this message:

That's one I've never seen before. I shoulda just clicked Enable Content but I didn't because it rubbed me the wrong way.

The "Automatic update of links has been disabled" text is a link. I clicked and got this:

Ah, so now I know that the "workbook links" have been disabled.

I didn't know I put any "workbook links" in the file. Don't think I did. What is that anyway, links to other workbooks?

I'm not finding any.

After the security warning about workbook links, there are other pathetic rectangles of fear:

• Compatibility mode (because I insist on using the XLS file format, not the newer one).
• Permissions (which warns me that "Anyone can open, copy and change any part of this workbook").
• Prepare for sharing (which includes a "check for issues" button) and
• Versions (which reports that Autosave occurred at 5:45 PM).

None of these warnings trouble me except the last one. I'm gonna have to turn Autosave off.

//

I clicked "Learn more about Active Content". I got an Excel Help window.

You ever find yourself getting exasperated by Excel Help, closing it, turning to Google Search, and finding a great answer from Stack Overflow almost immediately? Me, all the time. Anyway, here's how Excel's "Learn more about Active Content" help page begins:

"Hideatsu works..."

Hideatsu?
Hide at su?
Hid eat su?
What is this?
"Hideatsu works collaboratively with several co-workers..."
Oh, Hideatsu must be a worker, because he, or she, or it, or, probably, they have co-workers.

Having spent more time and energy than I would have wanted on the first part of the first line of the first paragraph of this Help, I can only say Why would I give a shit?

He knows -- oh, Hideatsu is a he -- he knows he can trust the files from his co-workers, but files arriving by e-mail with active content (macros, for example) can make the Security Warning message appear.

Yeah, but I didn't get this file by e-mail. I created it. And if there are macros in it, I put them there.

Why are they warning me about my own work? What's wrong with these people?

//

One more thing. The last sentence of the "Hideatsu" paragraph:

"Once he trusts the documents, he is not promted enable content for those files the next time he opens them."

There are two pees in "prompted". And shouldn't it be "prompted to enable content"?

The Excel Help page continues:

There is a menu after the first paragraph. That's so stupid I can't find anything to say about it.

After the menu:

"The message bar appears because active content may contain viruses".

Not "DOES contain viruses". Only "MAY contain" them.

But I don't know very many computer users who are competent enough to determine whether a file actually does contain a virus. Sure, they can run a virus checker and the computer can tell them if there is a virus.

That works. So why doesn't Excel Help just run a virus scan on the file in question? It would be much quicker than letting users run a virus scan on all their files. And this way, Excel wouldn't be putting the Fear of Virus into people for no reason.

According to the menu, there are four more agonizing paragraphs to read.

Let's don't.