I know about our nation’s puritanical roots. I know that we like to consider ourselves an enlightened society and an example to the world of clean living. I know about the FCC. I know about editors. I know about setting an example for our young.
I also know that when composing a text message using the “Word” entry method on my cell phone, I have never once intended to write the words “duck” or “ducking.” For instance, I do not generally intend to pose queries like, “Where the duck are you?” Also, I have never sought to admonish anyone for “ducking up our plans.” If I type a 3-8-2-5 sequence on my cell phone, I’m okay if my phone rewards me with the word “duck” the first 5 or even 10 times. Really, I’m okay with this being the default response. But the software should be smart enough to learn that if I type the sequence 3-8-2-5 and then change the word “duck” to a very similarly-spelled word (and I don’t mean euck) 50 or 100 times in a row, I want that other word.
Verizon, please let me teach my cell phone how to swear more efficiently.
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So true, Joe. So true. I have a similar anecdote:
ReplyDeleteI had a cell phone before my roommate did (this was about five years ago), and one day I was showing him how to send a text. He did some typing and then started giggling at the result. I looked at my screen and saw that he had typed, "kick my puppy." I bet you can guess what he had intended to write.