Computers have come a long way and while they can crunch data easier than humans, they still don't "get" the subjective stuff. Thats the reason why CAPTCHAS as we reported on the Tech 2.0 show last week, are mankind's best defence against spam.

I got a regular Press Release today, from an Indian car-maker today, which had me scratching my head when I read this line:

"17 youth are being trained at the company's Jamshedpur facility, while another 340 individuals have been placed in two select it is and the Ramakrishna Mission Shilpa Mandir."

After some thinking I figured that someone had run the release through a Spell Check and auto-corrected ITIs (Indian Technical Institutes) to 'it is' towards the end of the sentence. Just goes to show that however good software gets, you still need a human to run a final check!

This poem, first published in the satire magazine, 'The Journal of Irreproducible Results' and thereafter modified in hundreds of ways and sent all over the net, is one of my favorites:

CANDIDATE FOR A PULLET SURPRISE

29 June 1992

I have a spelling checker.

It came with my PC.

It plane lee marks four my revue

Miss steaks aye can knot sea.

Eye ran this poem threw it,

Your sure reel glad two no.

Its vary polished inn it's weigh.

My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a bless sing,

It freeze yew lodes of thyme.

It helps me right awl stiles two reed,

And aides me when aye rime.

Each frays come posed up on my screen

Eye trussed too bee a joule.

The checker pours o'er every word

To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore a veiling checkers

Hour spelling mite decline,

And if we're lacks oar have a laps,

We wood bee maid too wine.

Butt now bee cause my spelling

Is checked with such grate flare,

Their are know faults with in my cite,

Of nun eye am a wear.

Now spelling does knot phase me,

It does knot bring a tier.

My pay purrs awl due glad den

With wrapped words fare as hear.

To rite with care is quite a feet

Of witch won should bee proud,

And wee mussed dew the best wee can,

Sew flaws are knot aloud.

Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays

Such soft wear four pea seas,

And why eye brake in two averse

Buy righting want too pleas.

- J. Zar

Most email FWD versions of this poem say its anonymously written but in fact it is the work of Dr. Jerry Zar. By the author's count, 123 of the 225 words are incorrect (although all words are correctly spelled).