This isn't something new. People have known for years that the grammar checker is less than perfect. Now, if this were a developer saying, "Well, it would be better if you did..." I would have a lot more respect for the article. I can point out problems with lots of things left and right, and without giving a good, reasonable solution, simply pointing them out is what we generally call complaining.
I'm far from a fan of Microsoft, but since I work for a literacy program funded by the U.S. Government, I am adequately shocked that people use grammar check for anything more than catching where they mistyped "th estory" instead of "the story" and similar such mistakes. Also being a college student, I find myself re-reading my papers quite often, and generally fixing a few mistakes in my original text. Few, if any, of these would have been found by the grammar checker.
Then again, I guess you could also say I have an agenda to UN-automate the process of checking spelling and grammar, as it seems to me it's growing to be one of those automated features that doesn't just serve in time-saving, but also extends to the dumbing of America. Not just the, "I don't care" kind of dumb, but also the "I don't have any need to care" kind.
My current ID (state of Florida) says birthdate and height only, whereas I have seen other states with hair colour, eyes, and weight and such as well.
Definitely agree with the "trimming the odds."
This is where it is quite interesting to see where laws that protect people against discrimination come into play. Licenses used to have hair-colour, eye-colour, height, weight, and other means of identifying someone that have since been deemed "unacceptable" by some states.
Perhaps I am on a high-horse about it, but I have no problem with my license or other form of photo-ID notifying the person checking it that I am black or white/blonde or brunette/blue or brown-eyed.
I fear I may have come across as off-topic, but as you said, we have "something you carry" - the "something you know" - but rarely the "something you own/are." While identifying yourself online based on easily visible characteristics is far from ideal (I'm sorry sir, can you PROVE that you're Hispanic by using our online form...), but "in-person" it would still work wonders. So someone steals your credit card numbers - or even the card itself. They fake your signature to buy something. The credit card somehow (again, I know not how) comes up on the screen saying "White Male, Age 35" to the cashier. Kind of makes them having to check your signature useless, no? If you're standing there, and don't match the description, it's far easier to see you're not the authorized person for that card, regardless of what you can "fake".
I guess I am off-topic, but I find it funny how many people are so concerned with protecting their identity, while so many others are concerned with homogenizing society such that it's "discrimination" anytime a common, easily visible fact is pointed out about someone.
[/rant]
Biometrics are indeed fascinating and would save some of this turmoil; however, I find it fascinating as to what solutions people offer if biometrics do NOT always work. I'm not talking about someone spoofing a finger-print, I'm more concerned with burning my finger, or getting a blister - how do I sign on to everything then? What if I get a new prescription, or laser-eye surgery, would I have to remove my contacts each time I do a retina scan? (I seriously do not know how the eye-scans work). How about facial recognition, what if I get a cut, don't shave for a day or two, or even get a swollen eye or something? Will they still work?
Gosh, this post makes me seem like I have terrible luck and I am constantly in disrepair. This is not true; however, I do like (after having had a credit card stolen - and having my company want the credit card number to cancel it. Well, if I had the card in my hand to read the number off of, it wouldn't be stolen, would it? - They gasped, asking why I didn't make a copy of my card. I took out the terms-of-agreement from them and read the line about "do not make copies or store your card information anywhere." They said that was just for "liability sake" - and still wanted my #'s to be able to cancel the card.
Thus, I have great concern that when "unthinkable" things happen (finger cut... card stolen, whatever it may be) I can still cancel/login to my accounts per some other method.
Being on the other end of the spectrum, having just switched from being a long-time Linux/BSD user to getting an OS-X laptop at work (to replace the Win XP I was only using at work), I have to say that anyone that uses OS-X "in-depth" - in my belief/experience - would be more comfortable using the BSDs than they would using any distribution of Linux.
Thus, my servers are on FreeBSD, with the back-up servers on Gentoo, and all my "desktops" (including laptops - anything that gets a GUI) run Debian, which, as others have recommended, I currently run based off the Ubuntu install.
I do, everytime I buy a CD, because I ALWAYS manage to destroy them. Now, I'm not saying that it takes a kid to scratch them, because many a time it's a matter of - lend it out and it doesn't come back - or comes back scratched, or I put it on my desk, come home, and put a briefcase down on the case before I notice it's there. It's easier to backup than it is to be careful. I also back up all of my software installs (WinXP install, Linux distro's, etc) to.iso form on my own HD so that I don't have to relocate it if anything ever goes wrong.
I'm surprised you don't know anyone that DOES, as it seems far easier to take 1 minute to convert something to iso --- and get maybe a $60 120GB HD to store a good amount of CD's on - then to re-purchase software.
Yes, I'd rather have someone that knows how to use every program and just is a little slow at typing... but seriously, who CAN'T type more than 60WPM?
Granted I use a computer a lot and type faster than most, but even my little sister who doesn't use the computer for more than IM and e-mail can out do 60WPM.
It's very frustrating to try to get your point across in a chat when you can think 10 times faster than you type. Basic use of a computer should eventually yield everyone to have better than 80WPM. I capped that and never took anything that taught me how to type.
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This isn't something new. People have known for years that the grammar checker is less than perfect. Now, if this were a developer saying, "Well, it would be better if you did..." I would have a lot more respect for the article. I can point out problems with lots of things left and right, and without giving a good, reasonable solution, simply pointing them out is what we generally call complaining.
I'm far from a fan of Microsoft, but since I work for a literacy program funded by the U.S. Government, I am adequately shocked that people use grammar check for anything more than catching where they mistyped "th estory" instead of "the story" and similar such mistakes. Also being a college student, I find myself re-reading my papers quite often, and generally fixing a few mistakes in my original text. Few, if any, of these would have been found by the grammar checker.
Then again, I guess you could also say I have an agenda to UN-automate the process of checking spelling and grammar, as it seems to me it's growing to be one of those automated features that doesn't just serve in time-saving, but also extends to the dumbing of America. Not just the, "I don't care" kind of dumb, but also the "I don't have any need to care" kind.
Please, get over it.
My current ID (state of Florida) says birthdate and height only, whereas I have seen other states with hair colour, eyes, and weight and such as well. Definitely agree with the "trimming the odds."
This is where it is quite interesting to see where laws that protect people against discrimination come into play. Licenses used to have hair-colour, eye-colour, height, weight, and other means of identifying someone that have since been deemed "unacceptable" by some states.
Perhaps I am on a high-horse about it, but I have no problem with my license or other form of photo-ID notifying the person checking it that I am black or white/blonde or brunette/blue or brown-eyed.
I fear I may have come across as off-topic, but as you said, we have "something you carry" - the "something you know" - but rarely the "something you own/are." While identifying yourself online based on easily visible characteristics is far from ideal (I'm sorry sir, can you PROVE that you're Hispanic by using our online form...), but "in-person" it would still work wonders. So someone steals your credit card numbers - or even the card itself. They fake your signature to buy something. The credit card somehow (again, I know not how) comes up on the screen saying "White Male, Age 35" to the cashier. Kind of makes them having to check your signature useless, no? If you're standing there, and don't match the description, it's far easier to see you're not the authorized person for that card, regardless of what you can "fake".
I guess I am off-topic, but I find it funny how many people are so concerned with protecting their identity, while so many others are concerned with homogenizing society such that it's "discrimination" anytime a common, easily visible fact is pointed out about someone. [/rant]
Biometrics are indeed fascinating and would save some of this turmoil; however, I find it fascinating as to what solutions people offer if biometrics do NOT always work. I'm not talking about someone spoofing a finger-print, I'm more concerned with burning my finger, or getting a blister - how do I sign on to everything then? What if I get a new prescription, or laser-eye surgery, would I have to remove my contacts each time I do a retina scan? (I seriously do not know how the eye-scans work). How about facial recognition, what if I get a cut, don't shave for a day or two, or even get a swollen eye or something? Will they still work? Gosh, this post makes me seem like I have terrible luck and I am constantly in disrepair. This is not true; however, I do like (after having had a credit card stolen - and having my company want the credit card number to cancel it. Well, if I had the card in my hand to read the number off of, it wouldn't be stolen, would it? - They gasped, asking why I didn't make a copy of my card. I took out the terms-of-agreement from them and read the line about "do not make copies or store your card information anywhere." They said that was just for "liability sake" - and still wanted my #'s to be able to cancel the card. Thus, I have great concern that when "unthinkable" things happen (finger cut... card stolen, whatever it may be) I can still cancel/login to my accounts per some other method.
Being on the other end of the spectrum, having just switched from being a long-time Linux/BSD user to getting an OS-X laptop at work (to replace the Win XP I was only using at work), I have to say that anyone that uses OS-X "in-depth" - in my belief/experience - would be more comfortable using the BSDs than they would using any distribution of Linux. Thus, my servers are on FreeBSD, with the back-up servers on Gentoo, and all my "desktops" (including laptops - anything that gets a GUI) run Debian, which, as others have recommended, I currently run based off the Ubuntu install.
Seems to have already put down the main host of the rules for the competition... what a surprise.
I do, everytime I buy a CD, because I ALWAYS manage to destroy them. Now, I'm not saying that it takes a kid to scratch them, because many a time it's a matter of - lend it out and it doesn't come back - or comes back scratched, or I put it on my desk, come home, and put a briefcase down on the case before I notice it's there. It's easier to backup than it is to be careful. I also back up all of my software installs (WinXP install, Linux distro's, etc) to .iso form on my own HD so that I don't have to relocate it if anything ever goes wrong.
I'm surprised you don't know anyone that DOES, as it seems far easier to take 1 minute to convert something to iso --- and get maybe a $60 120GB HD to store a good amount of CD's on - then to re-purchase software.
Yes, I'd rather have someone that knows how to use every program and just is a little slow at typing... but seriously, who CAN'T type more than 60WPM? Granted I use a computer a lot and type faster than most, but even my little sister who doesn't use the computer for more than IM and e-mail can out do 60WPM. It's very frustrating to try to get your point across in a chat when you can think 10 times faster than you type. Basic use of a computer should eventually yield everyone to have better than 80WPM. I capped that and never took anything that taught me how to type.