legowik@cme.nist.gov (Steven Legowik) (08/07/90)
Does anyone out there know the addresses of any of the xwebster servers?
chris@sage0.gsfc.nasa.gov (Chris P. Ross) (08/07/90)
In <LEGOWIK.90Aug6162504@tobor.cme.nist.gov> legowik@cme.nist.gov (Steven Legowik) writes: >Does anyone out there know the addresses of any of the xwebster >servers? Another question. What is and where can I get Xwebster?!? Any info appriciated. - Chris -- -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=- Chris P. Ross (301)/286-7242 | InterNet: chris@sage0.gsfc.nasa.gov EGRET Programmer, NASA / GSFC | chris@olgao.umd.edu -=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-=*=-
mayer@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (Niels Mayer) (08/08/90)
In article <chris.650042683@sage0> chris@sage0.gsfc.nasa.gov (Chris P. Ross) writes: > Another question. What is and where can I get Xwebster?!? Any info >appriciated. As the author, I guess I should respond... Xwebster is available on the MIT X11r3 and X11r4 contrib tapes. You can also get it via anonymous ftp from expo.lcs.mit.edu in directory oldcontrib/xwebster.tar.Z ... You'll also need the public domain R3 or R4 HP Xwidgets which are in (i think) contrib/Xw.tar.Z. There's some minor patches in contrib/R4fixes/xwebster... I haven't done anything much with Xwebster since I've been too busy with other stuff. In <LEGOWIK.90Aug6162504@tobor.cme.nist.gov> legowik@cme.nist.gov (Steven Legowik) writes: >Does anyone out there know the addresses of any of the xwebster >servers? NO. And please don't send me mail asking about webster servers. The dictionary data is copyright by Merriam Webster, so anybody with a server is very quiet about telling you where it is, and will generally refuse to give you a copy of the dictionary data unless they are "dictionary pirates" (swizzle the dictionary, ye maties!). I use some university's webster server somewhere on the "ARPAnet" -- I will not tell anyone which one I actually use because that will eventually cause it to get cut off from overuse. Whoever "owns" those servers are welcome to come forward on their own accord. If you have a NeXT computer available on your network, you may want to ask on comp.sys.next for the websterd program which accesses the NeXT's built- in webster dictionary on the optical disk. There's supposedly a version of xwebster floating around that also allows access to the NeXT thesaurus. (I don't have that version, so again don't bother asking). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Niels Mayer -- hplabs!mayer -- mayer@hplabs.hp.com Human-Computer Interaction Department Hewlett-Packard Laboratories Palo Alto, CA. *
narten@cs.albany.edu (Thomas Narten) (08/09/90)
In article <5751@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM> mayer@hplabsz.HPL.HP.COM (Niels Mayer) writes:
NO. And please don't send me mail asking about webster servers. The
dictionary data is copyright by Merriam Webster, so anybody with a server
is very quiet about telling you where it is, and will generally refuse to
give you a copy of the dictionary data unless they are "dictionary pirates"
One thing that would be helpful is if someone could post a message
explaining how one can bring up a webster server locally. I realize
the big issue is copyrighting in the dictionary itself. Thus:
1) Who does one contact about getting permission from Merriam Webster
to run a server.
2) How much does it cost to get the necessary license (ballpark
estimates are ok), and who is a contact point.
3) How much disk space is needed to hold the dictionary.
4) Where can one get the software to run a server.
--
Thomas Narten
narten@cs.albany.edudavy@sparkyfs.istc.sri.com (David Curry) (08/09/90)
I suppose, being the author of the UNIX version of the webster
client/server, that I should stick my nose into this and clear up some
of the confusion. Whoever maintains the "commonly asked questions"
document might want to consider adding this information. The query
seems to reappear every couple of months.
The following is what I sent out a few years ago to holders of the
dictionary who are/were using the dictionary:
----------------
November 25, 1987
This is Webster's 7th Collegiate Dictionary. It is Copyright (C) 1963 by
Merriam-Webster, Inc. The machine-readable version of this dictionary is
due to a government contract with System Development Corporation, who had
the dictionary transcribed via keypunch in the early 1970's.
I have contacted Merriam-Webster about the status of this dictionary, and
have been asked by them to state the following:
1. This dictionary may be used for research purposes only. It
may not be made commercially available, and the data from the
dictionary may not be used in any publications without express
written consent of the publisher.
2. This dictionary may not be redistributed, as Webster is trying
to prevent the increased distribution of this information
(which was never intended for distribution in the first place).
3. This dictionary may not be made available over any wide-area
networks such as the ARPAnet.
4. This dictionary, and the software accompanying it, are most
definitely NOT in the public domain.
----------------
They had three reasons they didn't want the dictionary distributed:
1. It's a dictionary from 1963. A bit out-of-date, to say the
least.
2. They had no quality-control over the keypunching. There are
numerous typos.
3. They have their own electronic dictionary products (the Franklin
consumer electronics things).
I do not know if M-W or anyone else is offering a machine-readable
dictionary, other than the OED on the NeXT machine. I've heard
someone (at Indiana Univ.???) has modified the webster server to use
this dictionary, but I don't know about availability.
Even if you didn't read the rest of the article, please read this part:
1. NO, I CANNOT GIVE YOU A COPY OF THE DICTIONARY. Please
don't ask. Re-read the above if you want to know why.
2. NO, I CANNOT GIVE OUT THE NAMES OF PLACES WHICH HAVE IT.
Please don't ask. Most of them no longer make the
dictionary available to the outside world, anyway.
3. NO, I DO NOT HAVE THE DICTIONARY SERVER RUNNING ON ANY
MACHINES LOCALLY. Please don't bang on our machines
looking for one.
Queries for the above items will be cheerfully ignored.
Yes, this means that unless you already have a copy of the dictionary
and server, or know where a server is, "webster" and "xwebster" are
pretty useless. Sorry.
Dave Curry