The tragedy in Microsoft's grammar checking software

In an email, I intended to say:

"it would be a matter of weeks before he could effect any changes.."

So Microsoft's grammar check wanted me to say:

"it would be a matter of weeks before he could affect any changes.."

(Yes, fair enough, I should have turned off the grammar check.  But I'd sucker myself if I spent all day tweaking every Microsoft annoyance.)


Oh so close but so far away.  Well not really.  They are different words, stored, analysed, parsed differently.  Rather, it suggests that the person putting together the algorithms succumbed to a simple high school error.


I acknowledge that it is valiant to even attempt grammar checking software.  But if you're game enough to release such, you must have some confidence in your product.  Or you're Microsoft, and your Quality Assurance has simply let another one slip past you.