Customize Ribbon Size to Make it Smaller

It has probably come up before, but it's worth repeating: Microsoft listens at UserVoice.  As I write this, the base post says that 870 people have the same question.

If all these people upvoted the same issue at outlook.uservoice.com ( https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-2016-for-windows/suggestions/34395265-the-ribbion-tool-bar ) it would rise to the top pretty rapidly.

This work around that I use isn't really a solution, but given these LCD/LED monitors don't have as good of a DPI (dot/pixels per inch) as compared to the older CRT monitors, thus while our screens are larger, the resolution isn't any better (Max I can get is 1920x1080 for a 24" x 13" viewable area), this work around is about the only real option for as long as we want to work with Excel.  That is to press Ctrl-F1 to hide the portion of the ribbon bar that has all the buttons, and the tabs to the various ribbons are still visible.  You can also click the little up arrow (caret symbol) on the far right hand side to collapse it. To have it reappear, press Ctrl-F1 again or click on one of the tabs, then the pin on the far right hand side if you want to have it stay in place permanently.  I normally alternate between the two with this Ctrl-F1 keyboard shortcut as it depends on what I am working on.  Some things like a project I been working on, I don't use the ribbon bar much other than for things that I already have down to quickly using keyboard shortcuts (doing data entry as well as doing IT work will do that to you, where you are more of a keyboard user than a mouse user), and certain other other files may be more friendly using the ribbon bar more frequently but yet, the content portion may not necessarily use up as much of the area.

I use to get more total pixels on the screen with the 19" CRTs than I do with the current monitors, even though the current monitors are physically larger in terms of viewing area, but also not nearly as bulky and don't use up nearly as much energy not to mention they aren't nearly as dangerous as the CRTs.  So this eating away of our screen real estate has been compounded by poorer quality in terms of less DPI and MS making their ribbons larger.

I'm extremely disappointed that Microsoft has made the ribbon so HUGE and does not appear to offer any way of customizing its size other than completely collapsing it.  Between the menu bar, the ribbon, the formula bar, etc. almost HALF of the screen real estate is non-content. Microsoft has it backwards, thinking the more screen space should go to the user interface rather than the content. This is maddening, and it's extremely frustrating that Microsoft doesn't allow me to customize the size of the ribbon to maximize content. Does anyone know of a work around?

I worked with Microsoft for hours and I finally set up a NEW USER and the size of the ribbon went back to normal.  HOWEVER, setting up a new user is almost like setting up a brand new computer!  But getting the ribbon back to a normal size was worth it.

I noticed it too! Incredible!

October 15th, 2018: Microsoft have just sent out an update via the Internet and - aargh! they've made the ribbon even bigger!!

It's unbelievable! Here we are on the seventh page of complaints about the ribbon being too big and taking space away from the document we're trying read or write - and what do they do? They go and make the ribbon EVEN BIGGER.