Apache can do your speling for you

May 19, 2007 • 1 min read


This post is over ten years old. Chances are, I've learned enough to have advanced my thinking about some of this stuff.

Google corrects me.The best web server on the planet, Apache, has a module that will try to resolve URLs that were misspelled. All Apache modules are mod_something, so looking for more information on it, I searched Google for “mod_spelling”. The fact that Google could correct me made me laugh my ass off. This is a wonderful testament to how their distributed intelligence method of solving problems can be more effective than the boring dictionary-based approaches of the past. Without Google’s wizardry, instead of chuckling at Apache’s sense of humour, I’d be scratching my head at a lame list of results.

This can have practical applications too. For example, if I ever need to know how to spell the Governator’s last name, I just type a random sequence of characters that look sort of like his name into Google, and it will ask if I meant the right spelling. It can correct spellings it’s never even seen before! Well, I’m just assuming nobody’s ever searched for scwharzennegarra before. You never know.


Liked this? Follow along to see what's next.

© Allen Pike. 👋🏼 Feel free to contact me.