Writing with only five letters (using intuitive word-guessing writing software)

JoshPatton · Jul 21, 2009

I use the Open Office software because I lost my MS Office activation code and I am too lazy to find it. It isn't bad, but the point of this post is that when I use it often after I type about five letters, it will suggest the word that I am typing. I hit enter and BOOM there's the word.

Is this a cool convenient function or does this run the risk of making those who use it lazy as a writer? I mean, I know writers who say they can only write anything worth a shit on an old-school typewriter. I am willing to stick with it for a short while, perhaps I will try to vary my word usage so I can trick the bastard!

I am certain the red squiggly lines haven't really hurt my spelling abilty. But, I wonder with the gradual increase in conveniences for writers with computers and the stuff they can do, are we running the risk of becoming lazier writers?

Just wondering what the board thinks.

aadams73 · Jul 21, 2009

What I do know is this: I turned that feature off because it was driving me nuts.

Deleted member 42 · Jul 21, 2009

You can turn the feature off, in preferences.

benbradley · Jul 21, 2009

I recall, way back in the Dark Ages of the Apple ][, a BASIC enhancement that would complete keywords for you as you typed it in. If you typed the two letters "pr" it would then add the letters "int " to make the keyword print. I suppose some people liked that, but I saw it as a nuisance.

There may be "laziness" among writers, but using word completion is hardly a big deal, as long as the thing completes the right words.

alleycat · Jul 21, 2009

benbradley said:
I recall, way back in the Dark Ages of the Apple ][, a BASIC enhancement that would complete keywords for you as you typed it in. If you typed the two letters "pr" it would then add the letters "int " to make the keyword print. I suppose some people liked that, but I saw it as a nuisance.

There may be "laziness" among writers, but using word completion is hardly a big deal, as long as the thing completes the right words.

Back in the olden day I used to write programs for engineering applications. I wrote them so that they'd return obscenities if someone did something wrong. Sometimes I would even personalize them so that they would hurl insults at a particular person.

I'm bad, I know.

;-)

Exir · Jul 21, 2009

As long as you know what word goes where, how the words are entered is inconsequential. You can even have a motion-tracking input system with a different dance for each word, if you want

.

backslashbaby · Jul 21, 2009

I can't spell anymore. I have to check everything when I write for real. I do blame computers. I think physically writing the word helped me notice spelling and keep the knowledge fresh... but then I might just be odd

JoshPatton · Jul 21, 2009

Medievalist said:
You can turn the feature off, in preferences.

I know! The question remains, do I want to . . . .

I guess it is harmless, and I wouldn't even think about it if it was a nuisance, but this one is pretty good. Perhaps being a raised to be terrified of Sky Net, it worries me as the computers get smarter at stuff people do good.

The Rav · Jul 21, 2009

If it doesn't bother you and it keeps giving you the right words, let it go. You still need to give the ideas, so you aren't really a lazy writer. If it starts inserting the next few sentences of your work, though, you may have a problem...

Mel · Jul 22, 2009

Personally, it irritates the hell out of me, so I turn it off. Red squiggly lines also off. Widows/Orphans off. I'll find mistakes on my own, or when I choose to run spell check. I own the computer, it doesn't own me.

If it tickles your fancy then by all means leave it on.

Silent Rob · Jul 22, 2009

It's like that predictive text feature on mobile phones, isn't it? That drives of nuts. :ROFL:

Matera the Mad · Jul 22, 2009

It sounds like a good way to get a good percentage of bad words. I would have killed it after three sentences. Selecting whole words goes quicker than that.

Lucky Jim · Jul 24, 2009

backslashbaby said:
I can't spell anymore. I have to check everything when I write for real. I do blame computers. I think physically writing the word helped me notice spelling and keep the knowledge fresh... but then I might just be odd

Interesting. I consider computers taught me to spell. I hate it when MS Word auto-corrects because then I don't have the chance to learn my error.

Lucky Jim

JoshPatton · Jul 27, 2009

I don't know; I can see how it would be annoying, but since it only suggests words that I have used a few times before in the document, I feel that it is helping me not repeat the same words over and over again.

It feels like cheating, but maybe that's just me....

The Lonely One · Jul 27, 2009

If you don't tell the editors and agents, I won't.

Wark · Jul 27, 2009

I have never thought of turning off the red squiggly spell check. Though I'm not sure I can in Google Docs. I used to write in Q10, but learned the hard way about keeping actual real documents in only one place.

Chasing the Horizon · Jul 27, 2009

I've seen some truly hilarious results from that word-guessing software. I'll never forget the movie script where each occurrence of the word 'be' had been replaced by a character's name (which happened to begin with b-e). Made for some very amusing sentences.

I personally detest all automatic features in word processing. I use an ancient Apple word processor that has no automatic features whatsoever. This way when something gets screwed up I know it's my own damn fault.

I have a hard time believing the automatic features actually make creative writing easier, but if they're working for you then go for it. Hitting a few less keys doesn't make you a lazy writer (being on AW when I'm supposed to be working on my books does make me a lazy writer, however).

Writing with only five letters (using intuitive word-guessing writing software)

JoshPatton

Makes people nervous.

aadams73

A Work in Progress

Deleted member 42

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

alleycat

Still around

Exir

Out of the cradle endlessly rocking

backslashbaby

*

JoshPatton

Makes people nervous.

The Rav

Mel

Never be completely back to normal.

Silent Rob

Riff-Raff

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Lucky Jim

JoshPatton

Makes people nervous.

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Wark

Mark Brockman

Chasing the Horizon

Blowing in the Wind

Writing with only five letters (using intuitive word-guessing writing software)

Makes people nervous.

A Work in Progress

Deleted member 42

It's a doggy dog world

Still around

Out of the cradle endlessly rocking

~~~~*~~~~

Makes people nervous.

Never be completely back to normal.

Riff-Raff

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

Makes people nervous.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Mark Brockman

Blowing in the Wind

*