>I've never researched that area because I believe that it is the user's machine and he/she should be free to set the volume at whatever's comfortable for them. Further, I've taken the position on this sort of thing lately, that, even if I know the answer, I don't tell because of this. For the most part, the information is available, and if some really needs to do it, they can find it for themselves.
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>This may seem a bit odd, but I have reasons for feeling this way. Unfortunately, at least in the area that I work in, there is a growing trend to "throw" untrained users at a system, and expect that the system be able to cope, rather than training the user at his/her job and the software that they must use. Despite supplying with them extensive help files, I still am asked to explain the "why's" of a system, when the answer is a simple keystroke away. As a result I've taken this POV.
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>If this is a crying need, then the best answer may be for the user to be better trained on the software, rather than expecting the software to jump through what are, largely, unnecessary hoops.

I appreciate this point George. I see this also where I am when people often are not ( or will not be ) trained on the usage of the software or properly test the software for problems and as a way to learn the system they will be using in production.

E.g. They asked me to develop an extensive and complicated form in Outlook to be a tracking system. I tell them it's on line to be tested by them to make sure it does what they want and there are no problems. Fine. They create 1, 2 or maybe three items, fill in a few or maybe several of the 60 something fields in this thing, route it to 1 or maybe 2 people and say "Ok, it's fine." Then later, when we're half an inch away from production I get "Oh, BTW, we really need this, and this, and this thing isn't the way we like it ...". Very frustrating.