Hey, Google: failing to spellcheck Android 2.0 can have 'undesireable consequences'
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Nov 10th 2009 9:08PM
posted Nov 10th 2009 9:08PM
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Haha, great catch.
so newsworthie!
Engadget should pay more attention to their own spelling.
way to engadge the reader
What a bunch of ases.
Whats an 'ase'?
Hagar
wait, you guys did notice that "applicaton" is misspelled in addition to "undesireable" right?
@ rickjamess04
"ase"...i sea what you did there, lol
Shouldn't that be 'unforseen consequences'?
In a world where companies aren't supposed to, Engadget does. :D
After all it's okay to make fun out of Microsoft and their buggy software,
but we still dont have a properly working comment section.
It's okay for Engadget to make fun of google for failing to spellcheck one word,
but we can't do it to them? Give me a break!!!!!
Yes I noticed my comment may not have been written in the most professionally way possible..
but if you can all understand my point then my job here is done. Im open to critictism as well,
and will humbly take any with honor.. unlike some EngadgetDoes stafff writers... cheers everyone!!
In a world where companies aren't supposed to, Engadget does. :D
After all it's okay to make fun out of Microsoft and their buggy software,
but we still dont have a properly working comment section.
It's okay for Engadget to make fun of google for failing to spellcheck one word,
but they can't be criticized? Give me a break!!!!!
Respect is earned last time I checked, not forced down one's throat... and btw banning and sending us to another site really tells you how much we're valued around here =/
Yes I noticed my comment may not have been written in the most professionally way possible..
but if you can all understand my point then my job here is done. Im open to critictism as well,
and will humbly take any negativity with honor.. unlike some EngadgetDoes stafff writers... cheers everyone!!
I dont work for Apple, Microsoft or Google...
Dang comment section!!!!!!!!!!! Arrrrr >:(
It just shows Android's quality. I know people around here think Android is the bee's knees, but try it out before you commit.
Mind saying how it should be written? Because I don't get this "haha you're a fool and I know why but will never tell you" policy.
@ enforcer,
Google mispelled TWO words
I really don't understand why so many commenters are butthurt because the spelling errors in an Operating System were pointed out.
I ask myself "How did this slip past QA?" I've beta tested numerous OS's and never have I seen spelling errors made like that. WTH is an "applicaton Finance"? What is the word "Finance" even doing there? Did Google make a deal with GMAC or something?
This is made by pros, not homebrew devs so I would certainly hold google to a high proffesional standard to at least check their build before releasing it. The phones are certainly not cheap. By saying "oh, it's just a lil' spelling error" you're leaving the door open for more mistakes to go through QA "unnoticed" because you're giving the impression that you don't care about quality.
oh no! by "undesirable consequences" they must mean that my device will self destruct in 10 seconds!
The DROIDS! THEIR TURNING ON US! ARRGGHH!
Haha! You said "their" turning on us while commenting on an article about bad grammer!
The article wasn't about bad grammar, it was about improper spelling.
Oh, and I think it is fair to say that everyone misspelling things in comments is on purpose. Or at least, we should give them all the benefite of the doubt. (See what I did there?)
"Grammar"
he meant frasier crane.
this comment thread is just full of ironey isn't it?
Um...'irony?'
aaaand the joke goes right over serioussam7's head.
Skynet should be online soon enough...
@ imalmostjesus
That's because he's serious.
Rise and Shine Mr.Freeman....Time to wake up and smell the ashes!
http://www.onlinegamingradio.com/gallery2/d/1505-1/G-Man.jpg
wow...im an idiot. totally not thinking right there.
Imalmostjesus, I believe, giving all benefits of doubt, you intentionally misspelt seriousam7's name. All the spelling disasters that happen here must be the "undesireable" consequences of users ignoring the red underlines below misspelt words... at least if you are on a Mac. Having said that, I can't believe "misspelt" is underlined when it's just acceptable a spelling as "misspelled"...
...and someone somewhere in the world will die.
Oh no they have an extra "e"!
The only difference between 'Laughter' and 'Slaughter' is an 's' . It matters....
Yeah and the difference between undesirable and undesireable is a single "e", but at the same time it is just a typo that doesn't change the word, just makes it misspelled. I could care less if someone misses a single typo in a OS.
couldn't care less*
It's "couldn't care less", think about it for a second and you'll see that what you wrote doesn't make sense at all. I'm guessing you're American, they always speak a load of shit.
Hey, at least I wasn't condoning anyone who misspells the little things. Then I'd be a hypocrite.
@Kieran
Oh no Americans! Everyone knows Americans are the devil!
Er, "applicaton" appears to be missing a letter, too?
I take it you have know idea what "condoning" means. My guess is you meant condemning,
@ cloud858rk: I think you meant "condemning" not "condoning." X-D
Lulz.
"know idea", is this some kind of misspelling/bad grammar party?
Incidentally if you make a typo in the sourcecode you might have situations where it's more than simply getting frowns from a 'spelling nazi' when you compiled it.
@ Wwhat
It sure is. Thanks for pointing out my error. It's "source code" not "sourcecode"...... Welcome to the party.
The internet: a swirling black hole of spelling.
Obligatory:
I cdnoult blveiee taht i cluod aulacity uesdnatnrd waht i was rdgnieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rsceearch at Cmabrigde Uinervisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae.
The reset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lterter by istelf, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig eh? And I awlyas tohghut slpeling was imporantt…! And for thsoe of you wtih mroe tmie tahn ohrets, you wlli ntocie taht not olny are msot of the wrosd a mses but smoe of tehm are cpmlpoetley msiseplt awslel…!
@ someguy
My god, if only everybody did research like you, we wouldn't need schools. Unfortunately, the world is full of idiots.
*sigh* And im dating one of them...
Goddamn you, Darwin.
Obligatory: http://www.videosift.com/video/John-Cleese-on-American-English-I-could-care-less
Cloud: Your spelling and my spelling is not the equal of a large corporation's cutting-edge software offering. It's not a private e-mail or a funny blog, it's a telephone operating system put out by a corporation. A company should take some more pride in their work and spell check everything, even these mundane dialog boxes.
They took the extra 'e' from 'Marketplac'.
Massive fail...
Massive?
More like smallish.
I move we ban "fail" as 'net slang.
Who needs spellcheck when google search will autocorrect it for you and provide suggestions?
Looks like they have to put up another patch
Unfortunately the auto correct in Google search fails more often than it helps by 'correcting' correctly spelt phrases (for people with decent spelling anyway).
My iPod touch "autocorrected" the proper noun "Gary" to "fart" for some reason...
That is completely relevant.
Yeah because removing posts that show you're being a douche makes things better Josh.
FALSE
iPhone autocorrection ignores any word with the first letter capitalized.
if you try to spell "gary" it will auto correct to "Gary"
unless of course you type the word "fart" enough to have had it added to the custom dictionary.
I suppose browsing all those fart-apps would do that
FALSE
iPod/iPhone autocorrection ignores any word that it capitalized
Engadget laughing at someone else's spelling..... that's the funniest part of this story.
The difference, of course, is that I've written 1.4 million words on Engadget and my posts don't go through a comprehensive testing cycle.
OpenOffice has a free spell checker
And just why is it, Chris, that your words don't go through a comprehensive testing cycle? If they did, lotusaurus wouldn't be ranked so highly.
There should be something higher than "highest ranked" for this one reply.
Because that'd make us a monthly magazine.
Don't get me wrong, "Engadget: The Magazine" would be pretty awesome.
I'd say that a spelling mistake in an error message in an OS is somewhat less indicative of a lack of professionalism than spelling mistakes in a website whose chief medium of communication is words on a screen.
an engadget writer getting low ranked...and chris at that. Some other staff members i would damn near expect. Whats the world coming to, things are really starting to get wild.
And if your going to criticize Google for their spelling errors, you must be open to criticism your self. Unless you are a hypocrite.
Chris, it's ok. I still love you.
I'm not singling out Chris, but it sure does seem that many of the writers on Engadget don't even bother to use a spell checker. Looking for squiggly red lines under your words is hardly a "comprehensive testing cycle". Most of those commenting do it.
hi chris! ^_^
chris, your first reply kinda made you look like a dick.
just sayin'
Sorry but engadget can easily use some input method for stories with a spellchecker, there are many free ones available, that has nothing to do with 'not having time'.
But don't take it so bad chris, we still love you, we keep coming don't we?
"But don't take it so bad chris, we still love you, we keep coming don't we?"
That's what she said.
No one claimed to be unimpeachable when it comes to spelling errors, and there are lots of other sites you can read if you take issue with Engadget's content.
We won't be sorry to see you go if the best you can contribute to the conversation is cheap shots and mean-spirited garbage. Everyone here works too hard to have to deal with this kind of stuff, especially Chris.
Anyone need a good banning? Just let me know.
lotusaurus? Coming right up.
Exceptional statement, Mr. Topolsky. Well put, keep up the work!
Woa there Josh. Getting a little touchy about an anonymous comment on the internet.
Don't take it too personally. We all make mistakes. It's funny when they're as immutable as an OS, but it's also funny that you guys have a history of making..... shall we say "interestingly worded" posts. Not to say that you guys don't do a fine job; some people take the whole grammar nazi thing way too far.
Haven't you read that cartoon? Normal person + anonymity = complete douche.
Guys, come on, cut him some slack. As if most of you wouldn't make typos is you were in his shoes.
And finally, a counterpoint, in order to help you understand Palm's side of the situation:
No one claimed to be unimpeachable when it comes to spelling errors, and there are lots of other phones you can choose d if you take issue with Android's content.
We won't be sorry to see you go if the best you can contribute to the conversation is cheap shots and mean-spirited garbage. Everyone at Palm works too hard to have to deal with this kind of stuff, especially the engineers.
Josh, this entire news story is a cheap shot.
Holy Sh*t! The godphone couldn't copy&paste for 2 years, and you guys are really attacking a spelling mistake? I need a new gadget blog
anybody stop to consider that josh himself was joking?
why so serious...?
Dang, what's going on today? I love Engadget but c'mon, sometimes you guys (Josh, Chris, et. al), need to just suck it up and take it. I don't get where the mean spirited stuff applies here (certainly not to the level of banning).
Joshua Topolsk writes: "there are lots of other sites you can read if you take issue with Engadget's content."
Is that really the stand you want to take on this issue? Really?
Josh is just seeing that chris is starting to get hurt and trying to stand by him since a whole crowd falling over him is a bit much, it can really hit those lowest raked if you are the receiving party, more than you'd think being an outsider seeing a low rank, anyway josh is just trying to get you to simmer down a bit.
I would just like to point out that my first comment here got deleted. It went a little something like this:
Wait! Joshua Topolsky is banning someone for basically saying that
Engadget needs to check their spelling? That is crazy, and an abuse
of power. To be honest Josh, you would be way better off (well first
of all you shouldn't have even posted this) keeping your editors, and
yourself, out of this... whatever it is all the readers are doing. I
seriously mean no offense though.
Actually that is it exactly. There was one other guy who had basically what I said but one comment below me that also got deleted. I really don't like the way Engadget is handling this. I am even kind of scared that I will get banned for reposting this. But if they really didn't want this up here they would have e-mailed me or something... right?
@Joshua Topolsky
Actually I want to thank you. Your ridiculous attitude made me spend 5 minutes getting a copy of wordpress installed, a couple of plugins installed and I'm now happily gathering my tech blog info from around the world ( http://technology.automated.it if anyone is interested rss feed available). You know what... most if not all the stories you have on engadget come from elsewhere... all I needed was a kick up the backside to start getting that info for myself.
So, yes you're right - I don't have to put up with your attitude or your inability to take critisism or your inability to see when you are wrong.
way to go guys... someones getting reprimanded in the google camp right now.
If you google "applicaton" it will clearly indicate that its the right spelling... in 5...4...3...2
"Results 1 - 10 of about 774,000 for applicaton. (0.12 seconds) "
Google isn't the only entity to drop the ball.
"Prepare for 'undesireable consequences' "
another useless posting by Chris Ziegler. A typo, really? You asked the engadget readers a few posts back how you could improve your writing, a good start would be to find things newsworthy and blog about them.
Interestingly, Engadget isn't what I'd call a "news blog" in the strictest definition of the phrase. Peruse a few pages and I think you'll find we offer an exciting mix of news, color, and opinion.
And hilarity. Can't forget the hilarity.
And hypocrisy. Can't forget the hypocrisy.
Morgan, enjoy your ban! Oh, not just for being a complete jerk to one of our finest editors, but for trying to boost my Facebook URL as well.
What -- exactly -- is wrong with you?
And the children! Don't forget the children!!