Tyler Senini :  https://blogs.ubc.ca/etec540tylers/2020/07/24/task-11-algorithms/

Patricia McLean:  https://blogs.ubc.ca/course9fa832d3ed5e9bc0e2a4b9d769b3ff09f6e98b71/wp-admin/post.php?post=149&action=edit

For this week, I chose to link the post by Tyler Senini on predictive text to link to my post on same. I chose this link in particular because I wanted to compare and contrast the text architecture that Tyler chose as compared with my own.

Author’s note – my text architecture is very basic – using WordPress to simply post typically a blog.  In my MET career (I am not on my fourth and fifth courses contemporaneously) and am just now, as an older student, branching out and learning new applications.  I have now:  created a really spectacular website (Winter 2020), created content on Canva, used various mind mapping apps, used Padlet and other multi-modal educational apps.  In my prior life, my work was, in that environment as a lawyer, pretty

The substantive approach and discussion about the assignment – to investigate predictive text using a phone, tablet or computer – were similar.  We both experimented with the various prompts to see which next predictive words the algorithm(s) would suggest next.  Tyler used both his phone and his computer.  I only used my phone but did reference gmail prompts that are generated on both my computer and my phone in that app.

An another interesting substantive comment that was common to both Tyler and myself was the frustration with autocorrect.  And that in particular, in haste, we both draft texts that are sent before we have realized that autocorrect has changed a word rendering our text either unintelligible or just odd.  But, I would note, that we are all used to that phenomena and when we get a text message that is strange – we often receive a quick one word correction or consider if the text as delivered was not as intended.  Detectvie work within what should be simple conversations.

Tyler uses WordPress with impressive an impressive and beautiful photo of a farm (the prairies?) as his background.  And with all due respect to Tyler, it just doesn’t work.  The background photo – in multiple colours, makes the text very difficult to read.  The background remains set while the text scrolls down.  While the presentation was impressive, in my opinion it was not a good choice as a delivery system for information.

An screenshot of his post illustrates the problem.

My final comment was on a question posed in the task:  is the use of predictive text in public writing spaces a problem, for example in politics, academia, business or education?   My commentary on this issue was broader than Tyler’s.  I referred to issues in politics (lies) and gender specific issues discussed in the weekly listening assignment.  Tyler’s view was more general, simply noting the impact of, for example, writing a text too quickly and that autocorrect might change the words and impact politics and business.  I took the question very literally.  Perhaps that is just my perspective, based on age or prior occupation (lawyer) that a misstatement might really impact issues versus a younger student would might be more aware that there are often errors in the use of text – so to check those first before coming to any assumption/decision.