In memory of the man who put red and green squiggles under words
Red and green squiggly underlines in word processors – the familiar markers of spelling and grammar errors – are traced back to work by Microsoft engineer Tony Krueger, prompting reflection on how a small UI choice by one person can shape how billions interact with text. Commenters debate the usability of real‑time spell checks (especially in multilingual and specialized contexts), compare earlier and alternative implementations, and lament how individual contributors in software rarely receive lasting, movie-style credit for widely used features.
Overall tone and reaction to the memorial
- Many commenters appreciated the tribute and the reflection on how a seemingly small UI choice (red/green squiggles) became globally standard.
- Several remarked on how invisible, individual decisions shape interfaces billions now take for granted.
- Some meta-observations: people felt others were missing the memorial’s emotional point by focusing narrowly on spellcheck complaints.
Merits and drawbacks of squiggles as a UI pattern
- Widely acknowledged as intuitive and now iconic for “this word is wrong.”
- Critics noted they pull attention backward, interrupting writing flow; some wished for explicit “modes” (write now, then review) instead of real-time nagging.
- Comparisons were made to syntactic/semantic warnings in IDEs, and even a desire for “yellow squiggles” for logical inconsistencies; one person mentioned implementing an LLM-based contradiction highlighter.
Autocorrect, AI, and desired UX
- Several want a one-key “fix recent red-squiggle word using context” action, especially on desktops.
- Mobile-style autocorrect was cited as a partial model, though many find it inaccurate, intrusive, or especially bad with proper nouns, bilingual writing, and “inappropriate” content.
- Some turn off autocorrect/spellcheck entirely; others struggle to find global off-switches.
Multilingual and customization issues
- Heavy frustration from users writing in multiple languages: automatic language guessing often fails, turning squiggles into noise.
- Workarounds include hotkey styles to set proofing language, disabling checks for specific text, or loading multiple dictionaries so any matching language suppresses errors.
- Some tools (e.g., certain office and design suites, Outlook) were called out as especially bad or rigid here.
Quality and evolution of Microsoft spellcheck
- Nostalgia for earlier Word versions; several complain that current spellcheck is buggy or overzealous, sometimes flagging common words or aggressively switching languages/keyboards.
- Others point out Word has long had options to disable “check as you type,” though not everyone knows where to find them.
History, prior art, and attribution
- Debate over whether earlier tools (on Amiga, Atari ST, DOS) had real-time spellchecking and/or squiggly underlines; some memories were corrected after people checked old software.
- One commenter claimed early adoption of squiggles in generic text widgets (e.g., for email clients), distinguishing this from word-processor-only use.
- Separate subthread examined alleged Wikipedia “citogenesis”; closer reading showed that, in this case, the blog and Wikipedia citations were not actually circular, just interlinked.
Credits and recognition in software
- Commenters lamented how software rarely credits individual contributors, unlike movies or some games.
- There were calls for “credits screens” in applications and stories of hidden Easter-egg credit lists.
- Reflection that what one becomes known for in software is often unpredictable and not necessarily what they valued most in their career.