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Yet I still quite regularly refer to our Shorter Oxford (3 - 4k A4 pages). Usually after failing to get a correct or adequate answer online. It gives far more d

Yet I still quite regularly refer to our Shorter Oxford (3 - 4k A4 pages). Usually after failing to get a correct or adequate answer online. It gives far more definitions, etymology and usage than any and every online resource. For dictionaries, the internet has no depth, just a barely scratched surface. Somewhat equivalent to a simplified school or pocket dictionary - at best. I've probably spent as much time down paper encyclopedia rabbit holes as Wikipedia. Both have their pluses which can't be easily replicated in the other. Same for dictionaries. Something that came up in a recent discussion on Encarta: I have a century old encyclopedia set - the fact it is not constantly updated makes it a fascinating piece of history. Sometimes with better - manual - shortcut ways of calculating that I never heard of in my schooling, and a glimpse of skills that have declined. Reading about steam engines while they were still cutting edge, etc. I've learnt all sorts of little bits of history none of the many history books I read and Wikipedia time I've spent have ever got near. Having a snapshot is as useful, but differently useful, to having an always updated resource.

Tomte 7y ago
> I have a century old encyclopedia set - the fact it is not constantly updated makes it a fascinating piece of history. Absolutely! I've got a German encyclopaedia from the beginning of the 20th century, and looking up societal terms is fascinating. "Feminism" is "female behaviour by men", and only the secondary meaning references the women's movement. "Women's question" is about the quest to give those rights to women that are "according to their their ability and potential".
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Aye, some of the implicit societal assumptions are rather hard to read, or comical from today's perspective. From the era when Western confidence was probably at its height, there's a presumption in everything that Christianity, Western society and values are the right ones. That empire is a force for good - but quietly not mentioning both sides, or the deprivation caused, and this right after the scramble for Africa. Though King Leopold's "Free" Congo is a catalogue of atrocity, that was infamous even back at the height of Empire building. Yet see current stories on the Arctic and competing moves to develop and claim it, and it doesn't seem so very different, just who's playing has changed. Then there's the extensive coverage of anachronisms that have changed hugely or vanished; like the hierarchy of flowers, class, the importance of the King's English (received pronunciation), obsolete medical treatments, crime and punishment and so on.
chrisseaton 7y ago
> It gives far more definitions, etymology and usage than any and every online resource. But the full Oxford is online, including all the notes they use to produce it like sources. That’s far broader and deeper than your shorter edition.
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  That needs a subscription, does it not? What is available are some of the full entries for just a small selection of the words. e.g. the word of the day on oed.com is "quarterstaff" which gives the full OED entry, but type or click "quartet" or the other linked words, then you're returned to the homepage, and a subscriber login pops up. There's a £90 instead of £200 for a year's personal sub offer on the front page too. I can buy the Compact Oxford for that. After seeing mention in this thread of its tiny price on Ebay, and a quick search, I may very well spend £20 or £30. :)
  - chrisseaton 7y ago
    It’s still ‘online’ even if you need a subscription! And you probably have a full access subscription anyway, through your local public library, or maybe your alma mater if you have one, or maybe your employer if it’s a large knowledge organisation.
    - dhdgxjdhx 7y ago
      So pull out dictionarybout of shelf, look up word Vs Find out which institution I belong to has access to oed (which you’re bound to forget unless you’re in the word smithing business and use oed every day) . Figure out what contorted method this institution used to log in Remember your usr / password Reset usr/ password Figure out what combination of special characters your institution requires for your password Look up word Doesn’t support Firefox/ safari! Fire up chrome What are the special characters for the password again? Reset password, etc I just went on vacation. As I’m heading out I grab my mirrorless digital camera. Then I remember I’ll need the charger. And the SD card is in the card reader upstairs. So I said, “f*it”, grabbed a handful film and my OM-1.

Tomte 7y ago

> I have a century old encyclopedia set - the fact it is not constantly updated makes it a fascinating piece of history. Absolutely! I've got a German encyclopaedia from the beginning of the 20th century, and looking up societal terms is fascinating. "Feminism" is "female behaviour by men", and only the secondary meaning references the women's movement. "Women's question" is about the quest to give those rights to women that are "according to their their ability and potential".

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Aye, some of the implicit societal assumptions are rather hard to read, or comical from today's perspective. From the era when Western confidence was probably at its height, there's a presumption in everything that Christianity, Western society and values are the right ones. That empire is a force for good - but quietly not mentioning both sides, or the deprivation caused, and this right after the scramble for Africa. Though King Leopold's "Free" Congo is a catalogue of atrocity, that was infamous even back at the height of Empire building. Yet see current stories on the Arctic and competing moves to develop and claim it, and it doesn't seem so very different, just who's playing has changed. Then there's the extensive coverage of anachronisms that have changed hugely or vanished; like the hierarchy of flowers, class, the importance of the King's English (received pronunciation), obsolete medical treatments, crime and punishment and so on.

chrisseaton 7y ago

> It gives far more definitions, etymology and usage than any and every online resource. But the full Oxford is online, including all the notes they use to produce it like sources. That’s far broader and deeper than your shorter edition.

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
That needs a subscription, does it not? What is available are some of the full entries for just a small selection of the words. e.g. the word of the day on oed.com is "quarterstaff" which gives the full OED entry, but type or click "quartet" or the other linked words, then you're returned to the homepage, and a subscriber login pops up. There's a £90 instead of £200 for a year's personal sub offer on the front page too. I can buy the Compact Oxford for that. After seeing mention in this thread of its tiny price on Ebay, and a quick search, I may very well spend £20 or £30. :)
- chrisseaton 7y ago
  It’s still ‘online’ even if you need a subscription! And you probably have a full access subscription anyway, through your local public library, or maybe your alma mater if you have one, or maybe your employer if it’s a large knowledge organisation.
  - dhdgxjdhx 7y ago
    So pull out dictionarybout of shelf, look up word Vs Find out which institution I belong to has access to oed (which you’re bound to forget unless you’re in the word smithing business and use oed every day) . Figure out what contorted method this institution used to log in Remember your usr / password Reset usr/ password Figure out what combination of special characters your institution requires for your password Look up word Doesn’t support Firefox/ safari! Fire up chrome What are the special characters for the password again? Reset password, etc I just went on vacation. As I’m heading out I grab my mirrorless digital camera. Then I remember I’ll need the charger. And the SD card is in the card reader upstairs. So I said, “f*it”, grabbed a handful film and my OM-1.