predictive text

Modern mobile phones come with a built-in dictionary which enables them to predict what word a user wants from only a few key presses.

Predictive text is a modern marvel of the mobile phone industry. Predictive text has, no doubt, made it quicker and easier to communicate with those around us. However, the very tool designed to help bring us closer together appears to be driving a wedge between some mobile phone users and their nearest and dearest.

The technology behind predictive text has become so advanced it is resulting in embarrassing miscommunication leaving users, at best, a little red-faced and, at worst, with some serious explaining to do.

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The latest submissions to the DamnYouAutoCorrect website show how the simple predictive text misspelling of the words ‘at Pam’s’ resulted in a very awkward conversation between one woman and her boyfriend.

Instead of typing ‘We need to spend some time at Pam’s’ user ‘Jenni’ mistakenly texted: ‘We need to spent some time apart’, prompting a furious reply from her partner.

And the woman who asked a friend if she wanted ‘any bleach’ from the dollar store, was horrified when predictive text interpreted it as ‘anal bleach’.

Modern mobile phones come with a built-in dictionary which enables them to predict what word a user wants from only a few key presses.

Each key represents three letters. It differs from an older system in which users had to hit keys several times per letter, for example pressing the 5 key three times for the letter L.

For this reason, phones can often predict a completely random word – often with hilarious results.

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For example, it is easy to end up asking a friend out for a quick riot (pint) or telling them about being stuck in a Steve (queue).

A study in 2009 study found predictive text messaging changes the way children’s brains work and makes them more likely to make mistakes generally.

Scientists said the system trains young people to be fast but inaccurate.

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They claim this makes them prone to impulsive and thoughtless behaviour in everyday life.

Previous research has shown that predictive texting makes people sloppy when it comes to spelling, with many flummoxed by words such as questionnaire, accommodate and definitely.

For most phone users, predictive texting is a source of convenience, and considerable amusement.

The website DamnYouAutoCorrect – set-up in dedication to the embarrassing ‘auto correct moments’ – accepts submissions of screenshots taken from people’s iPhone conversations.

Via Daily Mail