Author Topic: WordWeb (Read 25314 times)

cmpm · « **on:** January 17, 2008, 10:01 AM »

http://wordweb.info/free/

Has a pro version also.

I don't know if many know of this little program.
But I found it years ago and quit using it.
But saw it in my files and thought I'd look it up and try the newer version.

It works online or offline.

Works offline speedily. Has it's own built in dictionary and thesaurus, plus it can find more on your computer.

Highlight a word and my Firefox search box will look it up in whatever I have it set to-Google, Firefox add ons, DonationCoder Forum, Ask. Whatever your search bar is set to search.

Have not played with it much since I loaded it this morning.
But when that search through your search bar in Firefox popped up when highlighting a word in my browser.
I thought it deserved mentioning.

It uses the extra search bar you can add in Firefox in my setup.
Don't know about other browsers or other Firefox setups.
But WordWeb uses the one I added in the customize Firefox box.

Rock on DC!

cmpm · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2008, 10:05 AM »

Ha! just did a search for it here at DC.
It's been mentioned quite a bit.

Seems I work backwards sometimes...lol....

Liquidmantis · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2008, 10:41 AM »

I love this program. Although lately it's been acting up. I'm sure something I've installed must be causing it issues (Vista?) but it sometimes comes up with complete gibberish in the Lookup field. Actually, it may have started when I enabled the mouse cursor "radar ring" on CTRL press. I wonder if that can break the way it grabs the text depending on the timing of the ring.

Rhutobello · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2008, 11:02 AM »

Just one thing to say about it...."Love it

"...as a none English I find it much better then Ifinger, since it is easier to find those word you are searching for...because you don't need to write the whole word....you get up a list to pick from.

And from what I remember it did not cost that much either for the prof version and I believe there is a free version too

tomos · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2008, 11:26 AM »

doesnt that work with mobysaurus as well?

BigJim · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2008, 01:31 PM »

I've been using the Pro version for a couple of years and love it. You can add a limited number of tabs to other reference sites (e.g. The Urban Dictionary). WordWeb acts like a mini-browser but can be configured to insert you search word to each of them.

I have had a little trouble with it lately. I seem to have installed a number of stand alone utilities and I think that WordWeb has become confused as far as hotkeys is concerned. As long as I make the first call of the day with the keyboard short cut it seems to behave normally from then on.

My only to suggestions for improvement are:
1. Allow more tabs. At last examination it wouldn't allow more than seven (although there has been a recent update - I haven't checked the tabs since installing that).
2. The drop down to add/edit tabs (Options/X-References/Edit Web Reference Tabs) is right above the Set Default ... button. If you accidentally hit that you're toast as there is no "Are you sure?" check. I've had a few "Oh No!!" runs and wiped out several carefully selected and tweaked tabs.

Grorgy · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2008, 03:56 PM »

You have to love the licence on the 'free' version. You need to be a sustainable user, no more than 4 flights a year and dont own an SUV lol (SUVs should really be officially renamed Urban Assault Vehicles in IMO)

After 30 days WordWeb may freely be used by a "sustainable user". For the purpose of this licence a "sustainable user" is someone that personally

takes less than 4 flights (2 return flights) in any 12 month period for any reason
AND does not own an SUV (sports utility vehicle)
Whenever a user no longer meets the "sustainable user"" requirement, and they have installed the product for more than 30 days, they must uninstall the product or purchase WordWeb Pro.

cmpm · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2008, 06:39 PM »

Ha! Yeah, very interesting license agreement.

http://www.reference...r&r=d&db=web

I'm at work or I'd look it up on WordWeb.
I suppose it has that limitation also.
I can't install it on my computers at work.
Or anything else,
which doesn't have anything to do with WordWeb either.

lanux128 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2008, 11:26 PM »

btw, you can also search WordWeb from within Farr..

• Configuring wordweb to search from FARR

Curt · « **Reply #9 on:** November 10, 2008, 05:36 AM »

Pro is half the price tomorrow, Tuesday 11-11:
http://www.bitsdujou...oftware/wordweb-pro/ or http://daily-deals.i...oftware/wordweb-pro/

Curt · « **Reply #10 on:** June 01, 2011, 01:39 AM »

Today on Bits du Jour: WordWeb Pro Bundle for merely $29!! List Price: $59.00

http://www.bitsdujou...oftware/wordweb-pro/

40hz · « **Reply #11 on:** June 01, 2011, 03:54 AM »

Today on Bits du Jour: WordWeb Pro Bundle for merely $29!! List Price: $59.00

http://www.bitsdujou...oftware/wordweb-pro/

-Curt (June 01, 2011, 01:39 AM)

Very good deal!

Note: if you're broke (or can live without the extra dictionaries and some of the bells & whistles in the pro version) you can download the free edition here.

Free use is subject to one of the more unusual EULA clauses I've ever seen (and first noted by fellow DCer Grorgy back in January 2008):

Click for EULA terms

WordWeb free version licensing

WordWeb free version may be used indefinitely only by people who take at most two commercial flights (not more than one return flight) in any 12 month period. People who fly more than this need to purchase the Pro version if they wish to continue to use it after a 30-day trial period.

Global greenhouse gas emissions are currently around 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person per year, and probably need to be reduced by at least 80% have a good chance of avoiding dangerous warming. Most computer users are responsible for far more emissions than is sustainable. For example two short-medium distance return flights can be equivalent to over 1 tonne of emissions1: more than an average person can safely emit over an entire year.

If you do not qualify you must uninstall the program after the 30-day trial period or purchase WordWeb Pro. The licensing model is designed to allow relatively non-wealthy people to use the program free of charge, and to provide a small incentive for other people who fly a lot to cut down.

Whenever a user no longer meets the above requirements, and they have installed the product for more than 30 days, they must uninstall the product or purchase WordWeb Pro.

There is one exception to the above: not-for-profit educational establishments may make a network installation of WordWeb for the use of their students (regardless of whether their students individually meet the licensing requirement).

See additional licence discussion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Flights are particularly bad because of additional non-carbon emissions and cloud formation at high altitude: the short-term warming effect is estimated to be many times worse than the same CO2 emission at ground level, perhaps a factor of two worse on a twenty-year timescale, but it could be worse than this - the science is not well understood.

Don't know about you, but that impressed me enough when I read it that I bought the pro license. Any company that has a license clause like that deserves the money.

Curt · « **Reply #12 on:** June 01, 2011, 06:15 AM »

-I wonder what license I should ask for when I haven't been flying at all for 17 years

Anyway, special eula or not, I already have a Pro key.

superboyac · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2011, 02:43 PM »

I would love it if WordWeb included the complete 20+ volume of the Oxford English Dictionary. I have a feeling Oxford wouldn't allow it, since they have their own, klunkier software for it, plus their online version which they prefer people to purchase. (Arrgh! I hate cloud services!)

Curt · « **Reply #14 on:** June 01, 2011, 03:22 PM »

-it is merely another $29

http://wordweb.info/ODE.html

Edited:
or did you mean Oxford English Corpus ?

tomos · « **Reply #15 on:** June 01, 2011, 03:41 PM »

-it is merely another $29
-Curt (June 01, 2011, 03:22 PM)

the bdj offer says:
"today's deal includes WordWeb Pro as well as all optional additional word lists (a $59 value)"

does that mean the "Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Our most authoritative offering, a third of the full 20-volume OED" is included?

EDIT/ I see from the page I linked to that wordlists are different from dictionaries - will now have to go see what exactly a word list is

[Next edit] no definition anywhere of a word list - can anyone explain what it is?

Curt · « **Reply #16 on:** June 01, 2011, 03:51 PM »

~~-word lists are for word finding and use with Crossword Compiler~~ (only?)
sorry, I forgot what it is that I have!

Word lists are (also) names of cities and countries etcetera

Edit2:
http://wordweb.info/pops/addlwds.html
http://wordweb.info/pops/langs.html
http://wordweb.info/pops/Geo.html

tomos · « **Reply #17 on:** June 01, 2011, 04:08 PM »

~~-word lists are for word finding and use with Crossword Compiler~~ (only?)
sorry, I forgot what it is that I have!
Word list are (also) names of cities and countries etcetera
-Curt (June 01, 2011, 03:51 PM)

ah, okay, thanks Curt - so it's mainly for checking the spelling, I guess.
Seems to me I'd be more interested in the 'bare' pro version ($19) plus a full dictionary like the Oxford one, so will probably pass on the bdj offer.

superboyac · « **Reply #18 on:** June 01, 2011, 07:21 PM »

-it is merely another $29
-Curt (June 01, 2011, 03:22 PM)

the bdj offer says:
"today's deal includes WordWeb Pro as well as all optional additional word lists (a $59 value)"

does that mean the "Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Our most authoritative offering, a third of the full 20-volume OED" is included?

EDIT/ I see from the page I linked to that wordlists are different from dictionaries - will now have to go see what exactly a word list is

[Next edit] no definition anywhere of a word list - can anyone explain what it is?
-tomos (June 01, 2011, 03:41 PM)

The titles they use for all the different variations of the Oxford English Dictionary are very confusing. Sometimes they say the "concise" dictionary, or the "shorter" dictionary, etc. The REAL DEAL Oxford English Dictionary is MASSIVE. It's something like 23 volumes, and each volume is about the size of what most people would consider a regular sized big dictionary. But it's a fantastic read. Each word reads like a story with all the pronunciations, etymology, usage examples over time. Some would consider it to be the single greatest endeavor in the history of english speaking nations.

It's also Oxford's crown jewel. So they won't let people just use it willy nilly. So that's why they give other people the shorter versions. That, and the entire thing is just too big for most situations. Furthermore, they offer their OWN software for the complete dictionary, but it's not nearly as nice to use as WordWeb. That being said, it's not bad...just not as good as wordweb. But they are really transitioning to online only: that way they can update things in real time and not have to worry about printing additional volumes or appendices. I hate online services for things like this. Your browser's interface simply can't compete with a custom designed interface for a specific application, let alone speed. That's what people don't get about cloud apps. The browser is not an operating system, but they use it as one. I'm fine with storing the data somewhere else, but at least give me an interface specifically suited for the application. Not an interface within a browser interface.

Anyway. I like the software version. My buddy is even more extreme, and he has the full volume set. Somewhat of a collector's items since Oxford has said they will not print it anymore once the next version is finished in a decade or so. Anyone got $1000 to spare? Money well worth it.

40hz · « **Reply #19 on:** June 01, 2011, 08:46 PM »

I like the software version. My buddy is even more extreme, and he has the full volume set. Somewhat of a collector's items since Oxford has said they will not :-*print it anymore once the next version is finished in a decade or so. Anyone got $1000 to spare? Money well worth it.
-superboyac (June 01, 2011, 07:21 PM)

I like the software version too.

But if I had a grand to blow I'd rather spend it on the 60 volume Great Books of the Western World collection put out out by Encyclopedia Britannica. I've read a little over half of them. I intend to read them all before I'm in my dotage.

That or save up the additional $400-$500 and get the encyclopedia itself.

zridling · « **Reply #20 on:** June 01, 2011, 09:37 PM »

But if I had a grand to blow I'd rather spend it on the 60 volume Great Books of the Western World collection put out out by Encyclopedia Britannica. I've read a little over half of them.
-40hz (June 01, 2011, 08:46 PM)

Ha, what a great goal! I went to a liberal arts school (1980-84) where our entire Freshman year was spent reading and writing about 40 great books from that program in an Oxford Tutorial structure. Most majors took it further for the next three. That was a great, great year, indeed. And no doubt a better, cheaper "education" than offered by 95% of curricula today.

http://www.greatbooks.org/about/faq2/

tomos · « **Reply #21 on:** June 02, 2011, 02:19 AM »

The titles they use for all the different variations of the Oxford English Dictionary are very confusing.
-superboyac (June 01, 2011, 07:21 PM)

as you say:
http://wordweb.info/ordering.html#
click on "Show All" (dictionaries), there are two Oxfords:

Oxford Dictionary of English
3rd edition, includes audio pronunciations ($29)

and

Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
Our most authoritative offering, a third of the full 20-volume OED. ($49)

is that a bit of an English understatement - calling the medium dictionary the Shorter one.... a three volume dictionary isn't bad

I presume the first above is the "standard" one volume dictionary
I can see the attraction of the full 20 vol. one but wouldnt want it enough myself...

Curt · « **Reply #22 on:** June 02, 2011, 03:43 AM »

-I agree the titles are confusing... at least, I never understood them! Not until I read your posts just now did I realize that Shorter was larger - I obviously never noticed the difference in price; my eyes and interest just stopped when I saw the shorter-word. Hmm... not too flattering [red face]. So now I must acquire the Shorter edition in order to upgrade my "definitive English dictionary reference" - Confusing, indeed!

tomos · « **Reply #23 on:** June 02, 2011, 05:58 AM »

I think the naming is historical:

first came the 20 vol dictionary,
then the "Shorter" 3 vol one
- then they made a single volume one for the plebs and just called it the Oxford dictionary.

Note what they say here about the OED (Oxford English Dictionary)

The OED, on the other hand, is a historical dictionary and it forms a record of all the core words and meanings in English over more than 1,000 years, from Old English to the present day, and including many obsolete and historical terms. Meanings are ordered chronologically in the OED, according to when they were first recorded in English, so that senses with the earliest evidence of usage appear first and more recent senses appear further down the entry – like a ‘family tree’ for each word.

from http://oxforddictionaries.com/page/oed

they are comparing the OED with the ODO - but dont explain what the ODO is...
*shakes head*

Curt · « **Reply #24 on:** June 02, 2011, 07:47 AM »

Oxford Dictionaries Online

http://oxforddictionaries.com/page/what