To have inadvertently entered incorrect information or commands into a keyboard or keypad. This often leads to errors in data entry, software malfunction, or communication failures. It's a common occurrence, especially during fast typing or when distractions are present. The term highlights the accidental nature of the mistake, emphasizing human error as the cause of the input inaccuracy. Miskeying can range from minor typos to significant data corruption depending on the context and sensitivity of the information being handled.
Miskeyed meaning with examples
- The accountant, rushing to meet the deadline, miskeyed a significant financial figure, leading to an inaccurate tax return and a subsequent audit that took several weeks to resolve. The mistake caused considerable stress and required extensive revisions.
- During the programming session, the developer miskeyed a crucial command, causing the program to crash repeatedly. It took hours of debugging to find and fix the error, significantly delaying the project's completion and testing phase. This resulted in a frustrated client.
- In a sensitive database entry, the clerk miskeyed a digit in a customer's account number, resulting in an incorrect transaction. It triggered a cascade of further errors, making the customer extremely upset and needing compensation.
- The journalist miskeyed the name of a key source in the article, leading to embarrassment for the source. The article's publication was delayed so the change could be made and reprinted after a fact-check and correction were submitted.
- The technician miskeyed a password while attempting to log into the company's server, triggering a security lock out. This prevented the system from being restored and required professional intervention to resolve, causing downtime for everyone.