Autocorrect

What Does Autocorrect Mean?

Autocorrect is a particular piece of language programming technology built into many modern interfaces in order to assist with proper spelling. It is a part of word processors, text messaging platforms, chat technologies and other systems that facilitate text communications.

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Techopedia Explains Autocorrect

Technology experts have written long and involved histories of autocorrect and its very diverse effects on users. The love-hate relationship with autocorrect in general illustrates how autocorrect technologies can contribute to much more effective and faster communications, but can also cause specific types of communication problems. To be specific, the strength of most autocorrect programs is that they can help people type out long sentences or phrases with less clicking or typing. The downside is that, like other natural language processing platforms, autocorrect technologies can make big mistakes, causing the user to end up transmitting a message that is very unlike what he or she wanted to say. Many of these failures are both funny and extremely sexual or strongly worded in nature, and are cataloged on various websites dedicated to “autocorrect fails.”

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…