Do You Ever Feel...

[elrhiarhodan]

Like MS Word wants to write your stories for you?

Damn program keeps insisting that I should use "scars" instead of "scabs".

WTF?

Also, under attack by brain weasels.

Comments

[matrixmann]

Word is stupid when it comes down to idiom or swearing.

[elrhiarhodan]

It is - but this is totally weird, even for Word. Scars could work, in a different context - so it's like the damn program's trying to make me tell my story in a completely different way.

Stupid Microsoft.

[matrixmann]

Didn't work with it in a whole while and the version I probably used was the famous 2000-version. This one was already that stupid in this - but that sounds like auto-correction which tries to act like snythetic intelligence and horribly fails at it (like the advertising of online-shops who try to stalk you with offerings generated from what you've already bought and searched for or posted on Facebook).

[ladyrose42.livejournal.com]

Yes those auto-corrects make free speech near impossible. Plus I now can't use abbreviations in my texts.

Don't know about brain weasels, do they have a natural enemy to sic on them.

[elrhiarhodan]

Well, you CAN turn off autocorrect in your phone...

Brain weasels... That's another story altogether.

[sinfulslasher]

Okay, first of all, this clearly means you should write whumped!Neal. Scar the boy! SCAR HIM!

And B, can I just say that I really wish MS Word would write my fics for me? I'll just think it and it will write it. Awesome invention. I shall figure out the damn patent...

(Also? Brain weasels? That's gotta hurt...)

(I now wish I had a weasel icon.)

[elrhiarhodan]

Yeah, Neal is seriously whumped in this fic.

[sinfulslasher]

\o/

Kidnap-Alooza or wings?

[elrhiarhodan]

Kidnap

Wanna cheerlead it? Because it's in serious need of some positive reinforcement.

[sinfulslasher]

You betcha!!! *makes grabby hands*

[pooh-collector.livejournal.com]

I have cheerleaders per say, but I do have flippin' panda and he's all yours!

[(Anonymous)]

I know you aren't alone!
If it's any consolation, I remember a post in the blog of Ursula K. Le Guin (science fiction and fantasy books writer; I'm sorry I can't find the post in her blog...) saying something like "Hands off, Microsoft, the choice of the verb I want to use is MINE!".
I'm not very "tech-savvy", but as some friends of yours already told you, one of the things you can do is clic on "Tools", "Auto correct options..." and remove the "check" from the cell near "Replace text as you type"; you may lose the comfort of the automatic correction of typos, but you can enjoy better your freedom in writing.
I'm not a writer, but I do the same because with the "automatic substitution" active you can also have some "nuisance". For example, I remember a text where the occurrences of "previgente" (Italian adjective for a law that is "in force before") were replaced by "previdente" (meaning "provident", "farsighted")...
(Sorry for errors, I'm not good at "proof reading"... ;-))

[elrhiarhodan]

I would have loved to read that post.

Oh, I know all about turning off the auto-correct and auto-check options. Usually, I find them useful, but this one was so bizarre - to suggest a related word that MIGHT have worked.

[(Anonymous)]

Found it! I didn't find before because it wasn't exactly a post...
http://www.ursulakleguin.com/FAQ.html#Revision

[joy2190.livejournal.com]

Scars, scabs sounds interesting, I'll take them both! It seems there is no end to what I enjoy having Neal put through, poor dear!

[elrhiarhodan]

Yeah - I do enjoy whumping that poor boy!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Word does have some odd ideas - I used to work with a guy with the surname Fatseas, and had to always, always doublecheck stuff because the computer wanted to call him Fatso...

[elrhiarhodan]

That's hysterical. I know the modern versions of Word do take the user name into account and add it to the dictionary.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

They're pretty good, but one has to always keep in mind that Spellcheck may be your friend, but is a not very bright and VERY stubborn one :(

[aragarna.livejournal.com]

Ehehe, also, Word doesn't know the names Caffrey nor Mozzie...

[elrhiarhodan]

Yeah - but at least I can add those to the dictionary! Then it doesn't insist that I use a completely different word.

[sapphire2309]

Oh, I'm through with MS word, unless I need the constant spelling and grammar check - typed essays and the like. I use Yarny for fic now.

Brain weasels does *not* sound nice. *hugs you*

[elrhiarhodan]

That looks interesting - but I do like certain aspects of Word (years of experience and libraries of shortcuts I've created) - and the easy connections between Word and Pages.

But I will keep this in mind.

[sapphire2309]

Great!

Hope the brain weasels are better.

[kanarek13]

Ehehe, hmmmm... if we think about the astronomical amount of White Collar words you have written with MS Word, it's no wonder there are sparks of artificial intelligence in there :P

*hugs*

[elrhiarhodan]

*HUGS YOU BACK*

♥

[(Anonymous)]

I found the "post" by Ursula Le Guin... it was the last part of a FAQ:
http://www.ursulakleguin.com/FAQ.html#Revision
Excuse me for this post, I tried to use "reply" to send it, but LiveJournal says that "the post is marked as spam" (I don't know why) so I don't know if you had the url. If you had my previous post, please delete this. Thank you.