Statistics For Data Entry: The Brave New Step

A reader writes:"First there was Dasher, a novel application of statistical theory that lets free texts be written using only a pointing device. Dasher works by predicting the continuations of the text being written, based on what has been written so far; there is a probability associated with each offered continuation and the presentation is designed to make it easier to choose more probable continuations. A big advantage of statistics-based interfaces is that they automatically enforce correctness, because correct strings are more probable than incorrect ones. Now the same approach has been extended to writing maths. Apropos is a Javascript application (it supports IE6 & Firefox) to create mathematical expressions. It represents the math using MathML, the official XML spec for mathematics. It is definitely clunky when compared to Dasher, but better than MS Equation Editor etc. It is interesting to consider if this approach can be extended to other XML vocabularies (for example, a model for HTML that suggests the markup as you go along - a properly trained one will make it harder to create pages with blinking text, loads of images etc.), or to formal languages other than XML (e.g. programming languages). Stochastic modeling can also be used as a basis for speech recognition, with the recognizer using the model to choose a continuation when the speech signal is ambiguous or indistinct."

Comments

It sounds good .. in theory

[Anonymous Coward]

"You appear to be writing a letter, and here's what you're probably going to say..."

Riiiiiiiiight

[$RANDOMLUSER]

"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe."

It knew he was going to say that.

More likely, it's going to predict that someone's going to say "Let's circle back and touch base tomorrow".

Correctness, huh?

[The_REAL_DZA]

A big advantage of statistics-based interfaces is that they automatically enforce correctness, because correct strings are more probable than incorrect ones.

They obviously didn't include many PHBs' writings in their calculations...
I'm frequently amazed at some of the grammatical... umm... experimentations undertaken by the upper two or three levels of management in their memos -- and the speeling, good grief, the SPEELING!! Is [F7] the last great secret of our civilization?!?!

Never been....

[mr_z_beeblebrox]

A big advantage of statistics-based interfaces is that they automatically enforce correctness, because correct strings are more probable than incorrect ones.

Though probably college educated the writer of the above sentence has probably NOT BEEN a TA in an English class. Truly correct strings are a rare find :-)

Dasher and stats rock

[palad1]

I did a quick test run of Dasher instead of RTFA, and as far as I understand, it works by presenting the most statistically-probable letter in the middle of the input area.

So, by dragging a perfectly horizontal line with my mouse cursor, I was able to create the most statistically-probable sentence.

Here goes, for Science:

Kennedy insider&xeathGhed a noviceable. Punt.uetGrance beganic or Central believe t, space ship,' Alice, it is deleasantB.Carzone.That's luJbi

Conspiracy theorists, area51 nuts and cypherpunks are going to be thrilled!

Re:Quick test

[Anonymous Coward]

MathML is a good idea in theory, but until there are good tools for writing and editing MathML, there will be very few people using it (either for publishing or for archival purposes.)

Wow, this has got to be the first time in the history of the world that a math person has criticized something for being "good in theory" but not "in practice". It's math! There's nothing in it but theory!

Re:Quick test

[Rotund Prickpull]

Don't know about easier, but it looks more like XML so it must be better.