As far as a basic work processor, yes there are many others but as far as Word not being the best option for businesses and they are using it just becasue, I have to disagree. For businesses that only use basic options, maybe. But there is not many that come close when it comes to things like complex mail mergings (Google can't do), integrating with VoIP systems for business contact integration. Tying to journaling in Outlook so you can see what contacts each document has been used with, etc. There are a lot of things besides cut and paste that businesses use that other systems don't offer...yet. Its not just because we are "stuck" and "don't know what is out there".

I am a tech professional and I have hired many tech people who "sound" great in an interview and seem like they can do anything but when they start working, its all talk and book knowledge and are essentially useless for me so I have to fire and rehire which is very hard in education.

So I test all of mine now. As a whole, most tech guys aren't good in interviews so this gives them an advantage in my book since they can show off their tech skills and have a better chance of getting the job then their social skills alone.

I also get "Geek Squad" guys coming in with years of experience and they are the most cocky guys I interview. But after they fail a simple networking test, they tend ro really mellow out for some reason.

I don't feel that its unprofessional but this topic did make me stop and concider that because I had never thought about it before. But I do know a scienteist that worked for a government agency in the area and not only did she have to take a skills test to get employment, but also have to take one every few years to ensure they are keeping up. That's not unlike requring a CCNA to be kept up. I also know someone who applied for a networking job and they agreed to pay for him to take the CCNA and if he passed he got the job, failed he didn't. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Kevin