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Germanic Lexicon Project
Message Board
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Author: Bekie Marett
Date: 2004-11-18 08:54:19
Subject: Re: A rival Bosworth & Toller project?
Firstly, thank you all for the opportunity to open this issue up to further discussion, I think the best way to start is with a little bit of history.
I began my Bosworth and Toller project out of a desire to give something back to the community, having used an Old Norse dictionary for a translation I was working on at the time. Also, having a deep interest in the history of language, proofing and implementing an online version of Bosworth and Toller would provide an ideal opportunity to "absorb" an old English dictionary. At first, the process was quite slow and labour intensive and it became obvious that a proper methodology and editing technique would be needed to improve the work rate. So, Ian (my husband) and I developed a bespoke editing system and methods for getting the data online quicker.
Since then the project has become a true labour of love for me, as I am pretty much proofing the dictionary solo and obtaining a work rate of a minimum of 60 pages a month.
There are some important differences in the way the two projects are being implemented which I will outline. My site is data driven, all the words in the dictionary are being put into a backend database and then the pages are dynamically generated on demand. All the pages are using Unicode to implement 8bit characters. Custom designed images are used where Unicode is not possible (runes etc) The bespoke editing system is custom designed for the development of this site only.
Obviously, as my site is designed for the benefit of the community, I have no issue in anyone utilizing the proofread text in any other project or for references, giving due credit. The style, layout and features however are naturally my copyright as you would expect, and can therefore not be used on any site other than my own.
I strongly believe that having more than one version of the dictionary online can only benefit those who both projects were designed to benefit. Not only does it give people two copies of the text to cross reference, but it gives them the important freedom of choice.
Also, as I stated earlier, as proofing the BT dictionary is now almost completely a solo effort, it has become a rewarding learning process for me and I feel that this experience would be diminished if I were to combine my efforts with yours.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you every success with your project and hope that you find the proofread work on the text I have completed helpful in your project's completion.