One of my friends has a son who has newly entered our august profession. He recently received this email:
Big Thirsty: What memorable autocorrect errors have you seen? Did they involve messages sent to administrators? Students? Your grandmother?
Turns out this email had an error made by autocorrect.Hi Mr. Young Newbie Prof.,
It's Female Student You Don't Recall from your Friday hamsterology lab class. Could I do the field observation on a hamster my family recently got?
I tried sending nudes a text to the phone number you provided, however it wouldn't let me. Is the number provided a landline?
Is easiest to reach me on my phone. 555-867-5309 is my number should you choose to message me via text.
Big Thirsty: What memorable autocorrect errors have you seen? Did they involve messages sent to administrators? Students? Your grandmother?
After much anxious seeking of advice, Mr. Young Newbie Prof replied thusly:
For your field observation, no, any pet is likely to be personified. I suggest choosing something else. There are lots of other options.Also, your school email account is likely to be the best way to correspond with instructors. The phone number I provide is to my office desk.And finally, perhaps this was a joke in your message: "I tried sending nudes a text to the phone number you provided, however it wouldn't let me. Is the number provided a landline?" This part of your message is inappropriate. Our Standards of Conduct prohibit the following: "Lewd, indecent or obscene conduct on College-owned or controlled property." More information about our standards is available here (link). I am copying my department chair on this message.Please be sure your messages are appropriate from now on, and I'll see you in class --- Mr. Prof.
She replied:
Oh my god. No, that was a complete typo! I'm so sorry! It was supposed to be "I tried sending you a text message..." It was from my phone and things are often autocorrected though why it was autocorrected to that is beyond me.I apologize profusely & am extremely embarrassed this occurred due to my lack of proofreading.Sent from my iPhone
Don't send shit form you're iPhone.
ReplyDeleteThe worst autocowrecked error I ever saw was in something my wife texted to our daughter. I shan't repeat it. Can't repeat it. I remember barely only that it happened. It is being removed, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-style.
Thunderbird's e-mail client once changed the name of an international student from "Junko" to "Junk".
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why, though I have finally acquired a smartphone and installed the apps necessary to check my email accounts, I'm not really inclined to try actually sending email via the darn thing. I also haven't really taken up texting yet, because typing on the darn thing is *not* easy. I tend to think I just need more practice, but maybe not.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Bravo to Young Newbie Prof. for handling the situation so effectively. I can imagine the time and thought and worry it took, though. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteAstronomy terms that should never be said in public are the naked eye, heavenly bodies, occultations, and pre-main sequence (also known as PMS) stars.
ReplyDeleteThe big danger for a particle physicists is talking about the classification of particles. In particular the divide between leptons (no problem) and hadrons (which my spell checker doesn't believe in, natch).
DeleteJenny, I got your number
ReplyDeleteI need to make you mine
Jenny, don't change your number
Eight six seven five three oh nigheeyine
Eight six seven five three oh nigheeyine
Eight six seven five three oh nigheeyine
Eight six seven five three oh nigheeyine
I can't remember what I had for breakfast or when the next curriculum meeting is, but this kind of shit is stuck in there forever.