Friday, March 14, 2003

Eye new ewe wood feel this weigh Salon carries an AP story about a study suggesting that using a spell-check program may actually make a good writer, er, worser. The study found the software helped students find and correct errors in the letter, but in some cases they also changed phrases or sentences flagged by the software as grammatically suspicious, even though they were correct. Specifically, the study analyzed the built-in spell-checking feature in Microsoft Word. Microsoft technical specialist Tim Pash said grammar and spelling technology is meant to help writers and editors, not solve all their problems. The problem is that, like most MS design decisions, the feature doesn't actually "help" you because it's ridiculously inconvenient to turn it off. Word ships with all the spelling and grammar features enabled by default. How many user actually even know how to turn it off? Referring to the test letter used in the study: For instance, the letter included a passage that said, "Michael Bales would be the best candidate. Bales has proven himself in similar rolls." The software -- picking up on the last "s" in "Bales" -- suggested changing the verb from "has" to "have," as if it were a plural. Meanwhile, the spell-check ignored "rolls," which should have been "roles." Icon cur. 12:14:06 PM    Oh yeah? [] We all got Layed Columnist Cheryl Hall writes in today's Dallas Morning News (obnoxious registration required) about local business leaders' reaction to the fact that Martha Stewart is apparently closer to indictment than Enron's Ken Lay. Ken who? Exactly. A year ago, arguably the largest business scandal in American history was being revealed. Today, how many Enron executives have gone to jail? None. How many Enron executives have gone to trial? None. How many Enron executives have been indicted? One. That would be former exec Andrew Fastow, whose pre-trial hearing hasn't even happened yet. Miller's column quotes several local execs on their alleged surprise that Lay, in particular, hasn't been indicted. Former AMR exec Robert Crandall says: I find it astonishing that a chief executive of a major corporation can get away with saying "I did not know anything" while collecting enormous financial rewards. If you know nothing, what are you being paid for? Out of the mouths of babes. 10:04:10 AM    Oh yeah? []