Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!watsol!tbray
From: tbray@watsol.waterloo.edu (Tim Bray)
Newsgroups: uw.general
Subject: Re: `dearpat' - An on-line data service
Message-ID: <16166@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 28 Aug 89 22:38:30 GMT
References: <16154@watdragon.waterloo.edu> <16159@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: tbray@watsol.waterloo.edu (Tim Bray)
Distribution: uw
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 48

Lindsay Patten writes:
>Is there any online access to the NOED for the general unix community?

In general, the OED database is available to UW personnel for purposes
of research and teaching.  Right now, you have to get an account on the
computer 'watsol'.  However, DCS is planning to extend that availability
via some big Sun meat-grinder they are buying.

>Even
>if were something as simple as a mail server which answered queries like
>
>mail noed@sol
>entry pedantic
>.
>
>and sent back mail giving the dictionary entry for pedantic.  

Well, yes and and no.  We were originally thinking about doing just that,
but if you just want to look up the entry, OED may not be the dictionary
for you.  Since it has *everything* about *everything* back to 1150 A.D.,
a simple request can have an unreasonably-huge answer.  Also, the entries
are densely populated with structural codes that are not immediately
self-evident in their import.  To illustrate my point without unduly
cluttering up the net, I will mail the entry for 'pedantic' to anybody who
requests it of me (tbray@watsol).

One of the reasons for the recently-announced 'dearpat' service is to
try to figure out what kinds of questions people would ask if they could ask.

>Of course,
>a fancy window based browser system would be even nicer.

Yes, in fact the only sane thing.  We have such an interface, and for those
with X screens, it will probably be available via the DCS service I
mentioned above.

Daniel Ford writes:
>Can we use this service for solving cross-word puzzles?  
>Such as: "What 10 letter words have a 'z' as the fourth letter and end with
>'ious'?"

Well, the existing query tools aren't optimized for this kind of question,
which means you'd have to write a lex program or something and wait a couple
hours for the answer.  Who knows, maybe there's some interesting research
in devising and implementing an efficient interface to support the needs
of crossword puzzlers?

Cheers, Tim Bray, New OED Project