Hi Kai,

I have another "trick" you can use to detect a similar type of error. If you are dealing with an alpha-numeric sequence, like a drivers license number or a VIN or a credit card number, and you want to make certain that you got it right, check it in reverse order.

For example, if you typed a number into a form entry field, instead of checking it from left to right, check it from right to left. Maybe a customer gives you a credit card number over the phone. Instead of just reading it back to them, tell them to verify the number from right to left (or in whatever direction is the reverse of normal for whatever language you are working in). Mistakes of sequence that go unnoticed in one direction are quickly caught in reverse.

Going back to the written word errors you were talking about, and specifically about how the brain conceals such errors, here's an interesting example that went around in emails some time back. Pay attention Erik ;-).

It truns out taht in odrer for our barins to make sesne of wrdos, olny the frsit and lsat lettres need to be in the rgiht plcaes. As lnog as the mlddie lttres are tehre, the bairn will srot tehm out. Tehy dno't need to be in odrer.

Okay, in longer words it breaks down to the syllabic level, but you get the idea.