Microsoft announced the upcoming release of a text prediction service in Word and Outlook last year. Text predictions, as the name suggests, predict words and phrases users are likely to type, and provide options to add these to texts with minimal effort.
Microsoft suggests that predictions help users type faster, and that they may also help reduce spelling and grammar errors.
Ideally, text predictions will be right 100% of the time and will speed up the typing once the user has found the right rhythm when it comes to making use of them. Word or Outlook would predict that the user wants to write antediluvian when writing ant, or concomitant based on the first three characters of the word. In a not so ideal world, Word or Outlook could predict something else entirely, such as antiseptic or conduit.
That's why Microsoft is making use of machine learning. Text Predictions learn over time to improve the recommendations that they give to users based on a user's writing style.
The feature works in all documents and email messages in the two supported applications once it has been launched. It needs to be noted that the feature is limited to US English at the time.
Users may notice predicted text being displayed as they type -- the text is displayed in a light gray color to distinguish from already typed text -- and may complete the word or phrase with the Tab-key. A tap on the Esc-key rejects the suggestion, and it is also possible to continue to type manually. Microsoft states that the "content is not stored or seen by any human".
Some Word and Outlook users may appreciate the feature, others may dislike it. If you belong to the "don't need or want camp", you may use the following instructions to turn of text predictions in Word and Outlook.
Text predictions are supported in Word on the Web and in Office 365.
Similarly, text predictions may be turned off in Outlook on the Web or in Office 365.
Now You: What is your take on text predictions?
Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.
The full quote is:
“The content is not stored or seen by any human unless donated as part of the feedback mechanism.”
How much time before that data collection and processing become consentless, like Microsoft likes to do ?
“Another way you can help refine this feature is to donate your actual emails so we can analyze their contents and improve the quality of suggestions in the future.”
*Pukes*
Am I the only one that wishes that MS would instead focus on fixing some of the more glaring issues with their software before implementing silly new gimmicks like this?
Outlook still loves to hang for several seconds at a time if there’s any issue accessing a mailbox (particularly a problem if you have several mailboxes open, or if your VPN connection temporarily drops). Quite why the server processing seems to share the same thread as the UI is beyond me.
I’m also sick of the recent bug in Outlook that won’t let you attach a document to an e-mail if it is open in another window. Thus forcing me to close the spreadsheet, attach it, then re-open it again. Weirdly, if it is in the “recent” list, it will attach without complaint.
Add onto this the horrible, cluttered interface in Outlook these days (so much white space and other huge elements) that make e-mail navigation a pain on a small screen and I can’t help think that fixing basic issues like these and improving the accessibility of the programs should be a far higher priority than a feature which 99% of people will probably just disable.
Good for people who can’t spell This feature could be very annoying.
I will be turning this feature off, when it comes out for Word. I have been typing for decades, and know what I want. Having predictions come up regularly is a real pain and distraction. So I turn them off in email and on my iPhone and iPad.
Thanks Martin. The suggestions were annoying and sometimes inappropriate. I told Microsoft about it. I wanted to disable the suggestions and now I have. Good information.
I see the option in Outlook web and it is turned on, but I see no evidence of it actually working as I type a new email.