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muriel_volestrangler

(105,984 posts)
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 02:43 PM Friday

For Microsoft, the only way to spell "turkey" the bird is Türkiye

I just had the oddest auto-correct - I typed "turkey" into Microsoft Notepad (the most basic text editor in Windows, and that why I like it - no start-up time, no fancy stuff I don't want - or at least that's what I thought), in the context of the bird (ie lower case, though "context" shouldn't matter with Notepad), and the damn thing autocorrected it to "Türkiye".

So I find out not only has Notepad got a setting saying "autocorrect is on" - and far worse, it has "AI features - Copilot", which was on, and there's no way I ever chose that, nor was warned about it - but Microsoft's (British) English dictionary thinks there's only one form of the word that is correct - the new name of the country, starting with a capital 'T'. This applies in the Microsoft Edge browser too, and I'd guess in Word and other Office stuff, but I don't use that.

WTF, Microsoft? It's a bit of brown-nosing to insist on the new spelling for the proper noun (remember, it is an authoritarian country right now), but to delete the lower-case name of the bird? It's goddamn illiterate.

And sneaking Copilot into the no-frills "just edit the text, for god's sake" program is insidious. Has it been reporting what I've typed into Notepad?

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Attilatheblond

(8,637 posts)
2. Co Pilot is a cancerous spyware IMHO
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 02:57 PM
Friday

And it is friggin stupid too. Doesn't get the whole context thing and is hell bent on deterring any creative word play.

Spell check is OK-ish, but do not mess with how I write, Microsoft! Beginning to think I need to learn to use Linux. Is that still an available OS?

hunter

(40,582 posts)
3. The last version of Windows I used on my personal computers was 98SE.
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 04:25 PM
Friday

I've been using Linux since.

Linux Mint is a good choice for beginners. The Mint community is friendly if you have questions.

https://www.linuxmint.com/

Installing Mint on newer machines might not be straightforward since these are locked down to some degree or another, presumably as a security feature. The procedures for installing Linux and making a machine your own will vary by machine.

Mint runs fine on older machines of the Windows 7 era. Here are the minimum requirements:

2GB RAM (4GB recommended for a comfortable usage).

20GB of disk space (100GB recommended).

1024×768 resolution (on lower resolutions, press ALT to drag windows with the mouse if they don’t fit in the screen).


Over the years most of my computers have been diverted from the e-waste bins. I've lost count of how many machines I've installed Linux on.

If you've got a newer high end Windows or Apple machine it might be best to learn Linux on a second older machine or a Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi runs another variation of Linux and has another friendly community.

https://www.raspberrypi.com/

Raspberry Pi sells a ready-to-use computer for about $150. It can be plugged into any HDMI monitor.



highplainsdem

(61,336 posts)
4. Microsoft's newCopilot and AI features are really hated by a lot of people.
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 04:38 PM
Friday

From the last 9 months in GD:

Microsoft will soon allow AI to change your Windows 11 settings
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220297575

Windows Users Furious at Microsoft's Plan to Turn It Into an "Agentic OS"
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220825901

Microsoft is forcing more AI into Windows 11, even non-AI PCs. What it is and how to disable it.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220908729

Microsoft Added AI to Notepad and It Created a Security Failure Because the AI Was Stupidly Easy for Hackers to Trick
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221022230

2 new articles showing why you shouldn't trust AI or AI companies. MS Copilot and Perplexity, in these cases.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221039651


This, from October, might help:

How to Turn Off AI Tools Like Gemini, Apple Intelligence, Copilot, and More (Consumer Reports)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220715625

hunter

(40,582 posts)
6. A long time ago I wrote an entire novel on an Atari 8 bit and a single floppy drive.
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 04:49 PM
Friday

I could connect it to a variety of Bulletin Board Services and the early internet too.

These days I write everything in Markdown using whatever text processor is handy.

Everything I read about Windows 11 seems a dystopian nightmare. With any luck I'll never be forced to use it.

MineralMan

(151,043 posts)
7. That IS the name of that country.
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 05:48 PM
Friday

I lived there for 15 months. I was stationed there while in the USAF. That's how it's spelled.

Why not follow the lead of the country itself.

Retrograde

(11,406 posts)
9. Because he's talking about the bird
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 06:56 PM
Friday

unless we’re supposed to adopt the Nauatl name for that.

muriel_volestrangler

(105,984 posts)
11. As I think was clear, the main problem is rejecting the correct spelling of the bird
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 07:22 PM
Friday

But it's still valid to use the old spelling of the country. As in "Turkey refuse to admit they committed genocide against the Armenians in World War One".

As to "why not follow the lead ..." - because the government who are trying to get other countries to change their spelling (unlike, say, Italy who are quite happy for us to use that and not "Italia" ) are authoritarian twats. It's the same principle as continuing to use "Burma".

Also, a U with an umlaut is a pain in the arse to produce on an English keyboard. And to get to appear in a DU title, for that matter.

EdmondDantes_

(1,639 posts)
8. I can't replicate this in Notepad on my computer
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 06:46 PM
Friday

Turkey is accepted just fine. Not sure what is different as the same listed options are on with my computer as well.

muriel_volestrangler

(105,984 posts)
10. Could be a British English v. American English dictionary thing
Fri Feb 27, 2026, 07:13 PM
Friday

Someone's screwed the British dictionary.

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