By Amy Beth Miller
Most people have learned that they can’t blindly rely on spell-check programs when they write documents or email. But in the push for faster communication, many are texting without checking, and that can be downright dangerous.
The auto-correct program on mobile phones can turn innocent errors into embarrassing messages. Imagine sending a text message to your boss or staff member in which “busy” is replaced by “busty” and “request” has turned into “pervert.”
Those are two of the milder examples of auto-correct blunders captured through the website Damn You, Auto Correct! The site has been up only since last October, and already it has led to a book boasting 300 “Awesomely Embarrassing Text Messages.”
When I receive a text message with an obvious and confusing error, I feel disrespected. I know that the sender wasn’t rushing to save a life, so the decision to send the message without checking it amounts to the sender saying “My time is more valuable than yours.” And it wastes both our time.
Pause for a few seconds to read your message before you hit Send. The few seconds you’ll spend will prevent loads of embarrassment and save you the time you’ll waste explaining an error—or working to salvage your reputation.
Have you sent or received an embarrassing or funny text message because of the auto-correct feature? Share it with us.
[Image via Damn You Auto Correct]
Nitpickers' Nook 