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Date:      Sat, 06 Mar 1999 16:46:39 -0500
From:      "Mark S. Reichman" <mark@borg.com>
To:        Rob <drifter@stratos.nospam.net>
Cc:        questions@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: The FreeBSD Dictionary
Message-ID:  <36E1A23F.80EF39E2@borg.com>
References:  <Pine.BSF.4.05.9903012039050.1596-100000@bjc23.trin.cam.ac.uk> <19990301135117.A74364@wopr.caltech.edu> <19990303045313.B1500@net>

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The next time you are in a bookstore take a look
at all the dictionaries available.  Almost all of
them say Websters on them and they are sold 
by a multitude of different publishing companies.
The term "Webster" doesnt mean a thing anymore. 
It used to, but not anymore.  Feel free to make
a dictionary and put Websters on it if you like.
Quoting a websters dictionary only means that that
particular publishing company, look inside the front
cover, defines the word that way.  Open an entirely
different Websters and it will/may have a totaly different
definition.   Oh..
Who was that guy named Roget anyway.  I hear he has the
same problem as Webster.

Rob wrote:
> 
> [ X-ed to FreeBSD-Chat ]
> On Mon, Mar 01, 1999 at 01:51:17PM -0800, Matthew Hunt wrote:
> > On Mon, Mar 01, 1999 at 09:24:10PM +0000, Ben J. Cohen wrote:
> >
> > > I have been using it with a friend to try and solve crosswords and it
> > > hasn't been too brilliant---for instance it doesn't have the words
> > > "Internet" or "cheapskate".  (Of course, our crossword solving skill
> > > aren't brilliant either.)
> >
> > Note the README:
> >
> > # Welcome to web2 (Webster's Second International) all 234,936 words worth.
> > # The 1934 copyright has elapsed, according to the supplier.  The
> > # supplemental 'web2a' list contains hyphenated terms as well as assorted
> > # noun and adverbial phrases.  The wordlist makes a dandy 'grep' victim.
> >
> > The lack of "Internet" in a 1934 dictionary should not be surprising.
> > We have that dictionary because its copyright expired, not because
> > anyone donated it.  I don't know whether there are any more recent
> > or more complete dictionaries available for free.
> >
> > --
> > Matthew Hunt <mph@astro.caltech.edu> * Science rules.
> > http://www.pobox.com/~mph/           *
> 
>      This might sound like a stupid question, but how is it possible
> to "copyright" a dictionary?  I(c) mean(c), they(c) don't(c) own(c)
> the(c) words(c), do they?
>      At the very least, it would seem that Webster's would be hard-
> pressed to prove that somebody "stole" their word list.
> 
>      -Rob
> 
> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message

-- 

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  |   Mark S. Reichman        FreeBSD    |
  |    mark@borg.com        Got source?  |
  |                                      |
  |      May the source be with you!     |
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  +------------------------oOO-----------+
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                  ooO Ooo


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