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View Full Version : MSWord's spellcheck is now racist?



KitchenKitten99
07-15-2008, 08:59 AM
This is an older blog post, but it caught my eye when doing a search for something else. The writer is working in Vista but says earlier programs don't do this. Not entirely true, as I have XP Home Premium and the older 2003 version of MSWord. I decided to try this on my own MSWord (I have the old 2003 version), and it DOES in fact try to correct "Obama" to "Osama".

http://donstorch.com/2008/02/28/why-does-the-name-obama-come-up-osama-when-i-do-a-spellcheck-on-my-computer/


Names as of late seem to be creating political headlines with our candidates for President more than the substance of such issues as the Iraqi War, the economy, housing, healthcare and global warming during this chilly winter.

Now, I for one don’t get it.

It seems to me that every time I write a column and mention the name Obama and then do a spellcheck on my writing, it suggests that Obama should be spelled Osama.

Now to be fair and balanced, I am working in Microsoft Vista. Check it out it, Obama comes out Osama every time on Microsoft spellcheck programs whether it’s Vista or some earlier program, and there are no other spelling options.

So I went to my Apple laptop, which runs the Macintosh program. I typed in the name Obama and it didn’t correct it to Osama with one choice, it gave me three choices — Ocala, Omaha, or Osaka.

Well, I thought that’s a little bit better, none of those places are in the Middle East, but then again there are more Microsoft users than Mac users. I realized it wasn’t much spelling help, but then again if iI wanted to raise race horses, buy steaks or visit the Orient, these were good leads.

Now I thought there must be some right wing conspiracy going on here, you know with all those right wing radio talk show hosts throwing these Middle Eastern names around casting innuendoes by word associations to famous evil people and casting aspersions on the leading Democratic candidate Barack Hussein Obama.

...(click link to read rest of article)

Yurt
07-15-2008, 09:14 AM
all the guy has to do is add "obama" to the msword dictionary bank. the option is right there when it ask you if you want to change the word. obama, as even shown by apple, is not a common word.

KitchenKitten99
07-15-2008, 11:40 AM
all the guy has to do is add "obama" to the msword dictionary bank. the option is right there when it ask you if you want to change the word. obama, as even shown by apple, is not a common word.

That may be something you can do, but I didn't do it at all. I just typed in "Obama" and used the spell check and the first thing it came up with for a suggestion is "Osama".

emmett
07-15-2008, 12:54 PM
That may be something you can do, but I didn't do it at all. I just typed in "Obama" and used the spell check and the first thing it came up with for a suggestion is "Osama".

Nit pick Kitten. Funny though!

KitchenKitten99
07-15-2008, 01:41 PM
Nit pick Kitten. Funny though!

I know it is a nitpick, but I thought the whole concept of it was rather interesting.

Yurt
07-15-2008, 01:54 PM
That may be something you can do, but I didn't do it at all. I just typed in "Obama" and used the spell check and the first thing it came up with for a suggestion is "Osama".

i know that, but that is because the dictionary program in MS simply picked the closest word that resembled obama...and osama is one letter off.

the third button from the top in the spell check window says add to dictionary, if you click that, obama will now be in the data bank.

KitchenKitten99
07-15-2008, 02:53 PM
i know that, but that is because the dictionary program in MS simply picked the closest word that resembled obama...and osama is one letter off.

the third button from the top in the spell check window says add to dictionary, if you click that, obama will now be in the data bank.

Who would want Obama IN their dictionary? The less of his name around, the better.

Yurt
07-15-2008, 03:25 PM
Who would want Obama IN their dictionary? The less of his name around, the better.

can't argue with that