During a long history with a lot of people involved, Stata has grown and flourished. It seems, however, that the needs of the newcomer don't get the attention they deserve. I switched from SPSS to Stata three years ago, and I am happy now, but I still remember my initial troubles. Also, when teaching Stata to new users, I see them repeatedly encounter the same problems and difficulties. During the presentation, I will demonstrate some shortcomings of Stata for new users. I will also give constructive suggestions for improvements. Some of the current problems, and some suggestions on how to overcome them, can be seen in my booklet "Introduction to Stata"; download it from www.biostat.au.dk/teaching/software.
