Ducking an iPhone Annoyance

The really annoying thing about the whole ‘ducking’ business is that it seems to have been some kind of ridiculous nannyish backpedal. When I first got my iPhone about a year ago, it was perfectly happy with ‘fuck’ — indeed, that was one of the many minor details I appreciated, since every other phone I’ve ever used has seen fit to bowdlerise my text messages in the same way. It was only after some update (I’d guess 1.2, but I’m not really sure) that the wretched thing started getting censorious, much to my chagrin. Use of profanity may or may not be evidence of inarticulacy — I mean, of course it fucking isn’t, but even if it were that would still be orthogonal to the point, which is: since when did mobile fucking telephones start enforcing proper language use? We’re talking about text messages here. Literacy, hello? Y, fk u n th hrs u rd n n, mthrfkr.

You lost your PG-13 designation when you used both “fuck” and “fucking.” (You’re only allowed one.) You’re now officially an R … unless you go back and re-edit, then resubmit. Or call it the “director’s cut.”

I think that what we are really looking at is how the language has changed. What might have been profane and foul only years ago, is now a common part of the lexicon. At my school, F-Bombs are dropped more often than I can count.

Here’s another solution to the iPhone’s dictionary corrections: simply redefine the profanity. We’ve all made the leap that when someone in this comments thread says “ducking”, we all know what they mean. This could act as a shift, with ducking becoming a valid profanity.

thanks. I fucking love it. for those caught up on the word, just think … you could not use it and let others just be.

gracias.

Thanks for posting that video link, dave!

It had special meaning to me, because I was the guy who did that (put in the word censorship), at least for one rather large company.

It’s hard to share any insights about the experience without sounding defensive, so I’ll just sound defensive and not worry about it. I hated doing it, yet did it on my own initiative. I understood that within the big corporate context it was appropriate to have our product refrain from putting an unexpectedly alarming word in a user’s face when the product was not 100% certain that this was their intended word. When building a product, you have to understand that the average consumer is not you.

If you need to use different languages with your iPhone: you can add multiple keyboards and switch between them while you are typing. (to setp up go to preferences and the general view and then keyboard) and then just activate the keyboards (languages) you need.

If you’d like to add words to the dictionary just create a contact, say Custom Dictionary, and add as many words as you like in the “Notes” field. In this manner, you now have a repository of words in one place. This works quite nicely.

I think that the venerable duck is tired of smimming in pretty waters and wants to get its virginal little feathers dirty in the fast and gritty vernacular of rich linguistic experience. It wants to insert itself - and has a plan, and so we should help the duck swim leather-clad through the Styx-like waters of underground vernacular. “Duck” can be the new fuck. We can duck out back with our spouse or lover. Don’t like the car? Sell the ducking thing - ain’t worth a quack anyway and you can’t afford those bills! Who gives a duck? Duck you! Duck me! Duck a duck! Docking ship…

Mulder: There is absolutely nothing wrong with saying the word “fuck”. As others have pointed out, it is a word that, when used in the right context, will absolutely, without question, be effective in your efforts to communicate properly. There is no excuse today, to not accept “fuck” as a standard part of modern speech, in our modern society. Language and cultures adapt, so should you. Doing otherwise, and putting the rest of us down for using a normal, everyday word, only shows you are a old-fashioned prude.

I routinely use “fuck” in business meetings and in the middle of presentations to customers, even at large conferences. There is nothing wrong with this word and, quite frankly, using it in a proper context allows me to bond better with my colleagues and customers. I have been very successful in my career, mainly because I am not afraid to keep up with the times.

So now: Duck you! may be translated as: Hijo de Pato!. :)

John 12.05.08 at 6:18 am “What about “c*nt”. How come my iphone doesn’t try to autocorrect c*nt?”

John, clearly you must have some c*nt listed in your contacts =)

Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker tells us the meaning of the word “fucked” has itself been fucked up over the years, but the real question is, “Does he use an iPhone?”

(He was delivering his obscenity focused lecture at Univ. of Pennsylvania’s Dean’s Lecture and inadvertently activated his laptop’s screensaver mid-presentation. He said, and I quote, “Oops.” I wanted to ask during Q&A if by this ejaculation he was fucking with our minds.)

“Linguists such as Pinker have pondered on the unusual grammatical properties of the word ‘fucking’ in sentences such as ‘drown the fucking cat….’”

pinker . wjh . harvard . edu

To Greg, typing in different languages.

You can actually use multiple languages, each with it’s own dictionary. I have English, Finnish and Swedish “keyboards” in use. And it’s extremely easy to change between them. Simply click on the globe button to the left of the space “bar”.

Interesting blog and a duckingly interesting discussion.

“Podesta 12.05.08 at 9:20 am Mulder makes people on this thread look like mental midgets.”

Both Shakespeare and Joyce used the word ‘cunt’. You’re none too bright are you Pederasta?

haha briilliant little tip.
There's been a few mishaps I've noticed when sending less than amused texts to people.

Thanks for this

My name is 'Tim', and it keeps getting corrected to 'Tom'. Given I use my name a lot in any day and I've had the phone for a while, and it still hasn't leaned …just how long does it take?