macnn
09/16/2008, 10:30pm, EDT
Tuesday, September 16th
Internet petition protests iPhone auto-correction
An internet petition has been building to protest Apple's auto-correction feature on the iPhone, entitled Please Let Us Disable Auto Correction Steve. Many users would at least like the option to switch the feature off. The truncated words, commonly used while writing on mobile devices, are particularly problematic. Frühjahr Design has received nearly 3,000 "signatures" on its petition in the few days since its launch.
The body of the note, addressed to CEO Steve Jobs, suggests that the company should "let your developers make a simple switch button to turn autocorrection off..." Signatures will be accepted until September 30 and then sent to Apple.
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GAL
Stands for Get a Life
Once you get used to the auto correction it is GREAT. But yes very annoying at first until you trust it and get used to dismissing it when you use certain slang words.
I was under the impression that it Learnt your common words ? ie. that after a few goes of using slang words it started to pickup and ignore them
Excellent!
I can't stand the auto-correction.. I prefer my UI in english but I type in french, so I often have to wrestle with the auto-correction to write what I want. It's very frustrating!
Simple Feature
Its a simple easy feature to add, I dont understand why Apple would have a problem adding it.
Essential feature
Without auto correction iPhone's keyboard is right next to useless. SO in the eyes of Apple auto correction is the thing that makes text input working. Will they add the switch allow turning it off? Looking at their other apps I can bet they won't.
Sorry folks, but no feature can be convenient for just anyone.
english UI & french type
FireWire: I had the same problem until I discovered that setting a second keyboard in French (see International Keyboards in Keyboard settings) allows me to switch between English and French auto-correction by selecting the proper keyboard using the little "Earth" key at the left of the Space bar. Could not love my iPhone without auto-correction !!!
3000?
OK, my math sucks, but assuming 10 million iPhones out there, isn't 3000 names like 0.03%. Then factor in the number of people who sign these things out of principle even when they are completely unaffected and don't own the device in question . . .
Yeah, I see this making big waves at Apple. Big waves. Maybe try petitioning for peace or something useful . . .
Solved then?
I have also been wondering how it would work when you use several languages like i do. With some I communicate in English, some in Norwegian, some in Swedish and a few in Portuguese. On my Macs I have set up the different keyboard designs and mostly I remember where the different characters are on those which are digital only - and if iPhone swaps auto-correction when you swap the keyboard, then the problem is solved for me - when I get an iPhone:)
Insane
People who don't "get" the auto-correction need to gently, but firmly, have their iPhones taken away from them ... they are not worthy ... give them a Crackberry and send the poor fools on their way.
Waste of time
Instead of signing a useless online petition, why don't these 3000 people actually send email to Apple requesting the feature?
Re: insane
Yes, the iPhone, like all Mac products, are elite products in which people should have to take an exam to use. If you don't meet the intelligence standards or willing to be indoctrinated into the Apple "way" should not be allowed to purchase their products.
This should be easy to do. Just take out the 'ipod genius' counter, replace it with a testing counter.