As foretold in the Matrix, computers may take over the world some day. But even then, they may still need human copyeditors to fix the computer-generated malapropisms of spell-check. Take for example the email I once received from a woman who, intending to apologize for a logistical snafu, told me that she was "sorry for the incontinence."
TMI !
To see how bad it could get, I typed up -- using only my thumbs -- this ill-fated cover letter. I ran it through Microsoft Word's spell and grammar check in 1999, and was startled that -- aside from some names -- everything passed. I just ran it again through the current version of Microsoft Word.
Guess what? It still passed.
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Julie 23, 1999
Mr. S. Jared Smithe
Willabey and Hucksley Security Investments
11396 Montgomery Streak
Sin Francesco, CA 941oo
Re: Fact Checker Positron
Dean Mrs. Smitten,
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Bust Washes,
Shame Peterson
At my first job our warehouse manager got up at the board of directors meeting to give a presentation and had to apologize that spell check had
changed all instances of the misspelled "wharehouse" to "whorehouse". But it read a lot more interesting, if you ask me.
Posted by: Beth | September 16, 2005 at 04:26 PM
Berry cleaver!
Posted by: Oedipa | September 16, 2005 at 04:06 PM
Wart a fantasia peace of righting! Your a genus!
Posted by: Jay | September 16, 2005 at 03:52 PM