Most keyboards have little ridges on them to tell you where to put your fingers. Sometimes I have to use a computer without this, and when I am copying something from paper to my computer, my hand ends up one column to the right. When I am not looking at the screen, this can go on for a long time, and then I have to go back and rewrite it.

The Smart Spell Checker would notice, using the current keyboard map, if the user's fingers are in the wrong place. For instance, if it noticed "jr;;p," it would change it to "hello," and notify you. If you set the Compensate option, it will not notify you, but continue to compensate for the position of your fingers until it detects that your fingers are in the right place again.
-- -----, Feb 28 2005

so if it noticed something like:

Buw us tge tune fir akk giid neb ti cine ti tge aud if tgeur oartt,

It would know to correct the whole passage (including apparently correct words such as "tune" and "if" to:

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their party.

correct? (note, that's all just the right hand shifted one row left.)

U kuje ut, p-[
-- Freefall, Mar 01 2005


Yep, you've got it.
-- -----, Mar 01 2005


Cwet nixw, my deins.

(Left hand shifted left one row)
-- DesertFox, Mar 01 2005


Uh.. What does that mean? I guess I was asking for it with this idea, though.
-- -----, Mar 01 2005


Nti- i- a cooh ihea, mun in vou/h taze no toze a 'hazolak' -ennisc.

This is a good idea, but it would have to have a 'davorak' setting.

Just for those of use with non-standard keyboard settings...

Cwet nixw, my deins. =
very nice, my frind... I think
-- my-nep, Mar 01 2005


No, ma. I meant to type @##&(I$. I thought the sentiment needed no explanation.
-- reensure, Mar 01 2005


//U kuje ut, p-[//
i likr iy. [=] ???
U kujw ur, p)[
-- gnomethang, Mar 01 2005


I really hate ideas for technology meant to compensate for user stupidity. Really, how hard is it to put your fingers on the right keys? Do you really think software developers ought to presume their users have developed a level of idiocy to this extent? Spellcheckers are bad enough. Now you want them to fix it when you miss EVERY key.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 02 2005


Alternatively, how about being able to highlight a section of text and move it one key to the left or right?
-- Ling, Mar 02 2005


Ling's idea is good.
-- -----, Mar 02 2005


I was just musing over some earlier comments, and then I noticed that one key to the right of the "enter" key is "delete". Then I wondered if "undelete" was technology aimed at the idiot, and if everyone had ever used it at one time or another.
By the way, ----, my pleasure.
-- Ling, Mar 02 2005


I think the "continue to compensate" option is a slippery slope, i.e. when does the keyboard cease to compensate? Rather than compensate, I think the keyboard should discipline. When the keyboard senses a spelling error, an electric shock would be delivered to the hands of the typist. Alternately, the shock could be delivered to a genital cuff, for those so inclined.

To increase typing speed, the same discipline could be triggered by the backspace key.
-- xrayTed, Mar 02 2005


I'm not sure that this idea is possible, at least not now or even for 10 or more years or maybe even ever. To be perfect, such a system would have to know what the typist intended to type and that's a very tough problem without mind reading capabilities.

However, I also think that systems should compensate for user's shortcomings (okay, stupidity) whenever they can as long as these mechanisms don't encumber the users without those shortcomings. Today, there are many systems that compensate for stupidity and to the advantage of the users of that technology. Just look at cars, for example. There are now commonly active skid control systems to compensate for drivers too stupid to mind lateral acceleration. Anti-lock braking for drivers too stupid to pump the brakes and airbags for drivers too stupid to avoid hitting things.

So, I guess I am in the camp that thinks that using technology to compensate for weaknesses and shortcomings, even when they are deliberatly caused shortcomings, are a good thing.

Also, in the case of this idea, imagine what this technology could do for the arthritic?
-- bristolz, Mar 04 2005


[bristolz] the technology is there. When it recognises at least a word of gibberish, it tries to find a hand position that would make real words. Then it would change all of the gibberish to real words by using your keyboard map, and possibly notify you. Another possibility is that it would continue to compensate until it detects real words in the standard position. This is almost like creating a temporary keyboard map.
-- -----, Mar 04 2005


// Just look at cars, for example. //

bris, I think the examples you refer to are not compensatory but more like enhancements, improving the quality of things humans do anyway.

The analogy here is the author wants a system that detects you pressed the brake but meant to press the accelerator. There are limits.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 04 2005


This is a lot less complicated then controlling a car, and with less dramatic consequences if the system fails.
-- -----, Mar 04 2005


nice work [dashdashdashdashdash]
-- neilp, Mar 04 2005


I dunno, technology that compensates for stupidity will probably just lead eventually to really stupid people. Just look down at the keyboard occasionally. Jeez.
-- thatguy, Mar 04 2005


This is supposed to make typing easier, not promote stupidity just because the computer can fix it. It is easy, and not at all stupid, to place your hands in the wrong place, especially when you are an inexperienced typist, or are trying to copy something off paper.
-- -----, Mar 04 2005


If you are inexperienced, you will look at the screen often.

If you are experienced, the position will feel 'wrong' almost instantly.

So - not a very bright idea.
-- neelandan, Mar 04 2005


[waugs] such systems do correct for the resulting forces from the wrong pedal being pressed, brake or throttle. It's an abstraction layer, of sorts, just as a spellchecker like this is and I don't distinguish between a system that is compensatory and one that renders enhancement as they are both compensating towards reaching a desired goal.

[----] FInding a hand position is a terrifically limited approach. What if the typist is a two-finger hunt and peck artist? There'll be no solution in the look up table for that.
-- bristolz, Mar 04 2005


The hunt and peck typist looks at the keys often, and won't have a consistent problem, it will be limmeted to ocasional mistakes and spelling erors.
-- my-nep, Mar 04 2005


What could be useful, as a kids encryption device, is the ability to shift all the characters automatically, as though you had your hands off.
-- theircompetitor, Mar 04 2005


This wouldn't be hard to build, and a hunt and peck typist won't have the "hand moved" problems.
-- -----, Mar 04 2005


I don't see how it is any better or worse than any other spelling enhancement so I give it a + for cleverness.

It seems to me that the folks that don't like the idea are simply frustrated with what would be yet another little piece of technology to digest. That's understandable. However, saying it's worthless is like saying that grocery stores are for people too stupid to grow their own food.
-- bneal27, May 03 2005


First, I have seen MS Outlook 2003 do this very thing, although I can't seem to duplicate it now... I distinctly remember typing something, having my hand off position, and watching it autocorrect the entry to the word I had intended to type. I backed up, typed it wrong again, and was delighted to see it correct it. I remember being very impressed.

Secondly, to implement this would effectively multiply the number of words in the /virtual/ dictionary used to spell check by several time. A new copy of each word must be mapped to each possible misalignment that effects that word. In practice, a little subroutine could change the letters in a way that compensates for each of the possible misalignments and then feed the result through the standard dictionary to see if that helped. So the actual increase would be in processing cycles and time required.

I tend to agree, however, that this is on the edge of doing too much for the user. There are other things I would rather see, such as a built in calculator that allows me to type 1 + 2 + 3 = and have it insert 6. BTW, you can type many expressions like that, select the text, copy, then open calculator, and paste to get the answer. But it does not allow for columns of numbers to be added.
-- James Newton, Sep 05 2006


This reminds me of Victor Borge's comic routine where he keeps missing the same note, and finally he pushes the whole piano over an inch so he can reach it.

Maybe the keyboard itself should be on wheels and shift over when you are out of position.
-- phundug, Sep 05 2006


There's one key that I don't ever use, except to toggle it back to the mode that I want, after pressing it by accident.
That key is the "Insert" Key, which I sometimes press by accident when I want to delete. Does anyone use it?
-- Ling, Sep 05 2006


I agree, I hatnsert key. <-- creating things like this is all it's good for.
-- phundug, Sep 05 2006



random, halfbakery