Did you hear about the computer spell checker that went buggy and changed the names of several Pennsylvania High School students in June? It gave some of them quite unflattering last names!
The spell checker automatically changed names like that of Max Zupanovic to Max Supernova and Kathy Carbaugh to Kathy Airbag! Alessandra Ippolito’s name was changed to Alexandria Impolite. I guess the spell checker was searching for synonyms and if you’ve ever tried to use synonyms to replace words in a document using a computer program you know you can get some awfully strange results!
Unfortunately these names made the yearbook lists. Ed Patrick of Taylor Publishing, which printed the book, said his company is responsible for the errors and will provide free stickers printed with the correct names.
“It happens all the time, every year,” Patrick said. “Look at any yearbook in the country.”
