International Phone Dictionary Day

International Phone Dictionary Day is a worldwide holiday created in order to celebrate the T9 Dictionary which exists on the majority of phone's, including those made by LG, Samsung Electronics, Nokia, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, Sanyo, Sagem and others. It is celebrated on November 13, by select groups and organizations around the world.

Origins

International Phone Dictionary Day was established by a group of secondary school students. It was conceived as a satirical practical joke due to the existence of such strange international days as International Kitchen Garden Day. They believed that a day should be reserved for something more useful such as the dictionary on phones that allows for faster typing of messages.

Due to only being recently decided upon, International Phone Dictionary Day does not yet have much recognition, although it is already slowly catching on on many internet sites. International recognition is being sought all over the internet, especially recognition from Nuance, the company who made the T9 Dictionary. It is already receiving some recognition, allowing for many people to be able to celebrate it.

Themes

The theme for the 2007 International Phone Dictionary Day is "Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes". The day will focus on the most common, or hilarious, mistakes that the phone dictionary can make. Nominations are being taken, and already include such mistakes as 'nun' instead of 'mum', and 'inure' instead of 'house'. A vote will be taken, starting on the day itself, to work out people's favourite mistake, judging on either hilarity, or how common or annoying it is.

The aim of the theme is not only to parody the phone dictionary itself, but also to try and get improvements in its predictions. Although International Phone Dictionary Day is a satirical day, it also aims to help the community as a whole, just like equivalent events such as World Food Day.

Variations

Due to its growing popularity, variations on International Phone Dictionary Day are already being created.

Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes

Due to the theme of the 2007 International Phone Dictionary Day, some have decided to allow their phones on November 13 to make any mistakes that they want. Under this variation, the people observing the event are not allowed to change the first word that comes up when they type in what they wish. Although starting at first as a separate variation, this is now the official variation, accepted by the organisers, and being promoted around the world.

International Dictionary Phone Day

Some Australians observing the event are planning on typing every word on their phones backwards, to celebrate both the day, and Australia being down-under. As with the Mistakes, Mistakes, Mistakes variation, they will not be allowed to change the first word that comes up on their phones.

International iTap Day

As a variation on the T9, iTap (used on Motorola phones) is also getting its own day on November 13. It is currently being decided whether, as a different phone dictionary, but a phone dictionary all the same, it should be officially celebrated under International Phone Dictionary Day. The official decision is planned to be announced on November 1 (also the day when full details of the entire event are to be revealed).

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