Re: [edict-jmdict] A Korean language version of EDICT/JMdict ? (KEDICT?)

["Niels Kobschaetzki" <n.kobschaetzki@**************>]

On Sun, Jul 6, 2008 at 8:47 PM, Dennis Schrader <jpnthailand@gmail.com> wrote:
> Yes, Niels, a completed project is indeed a thing of beauty and worth.
> However, the task itself is formidable as I have noticed from your
> dictionary beginnings.

what exactly do you mean? My dictionary beginnings?

> Everybody wants "free". That's for sure. What I don't want to see is someone
> who appears to be new to non-cognate languages given false hope and empty
> encouragement. If you wish to find fault with that, so be it.

If I look through non-free Japanese/German (and vice versa)
dictionaries as well as Korean/German (and vice versa) dictionaries
there are so many mistakes as well (the same for Japanese/English vice
versa). Usually the results from the "free" projects like edict or
wadoku are better than those from the stuff that you have to pay for
except it's a 国語-dictionary (but those are not in sharealike-license
available). In a dictionary that is available in a form like the edict
I have the possibility to correct an error or give back via entering
new words (not really happened -- but I'm never sure if I it is legal
to enter words in edict I cannot find there but found in alc (great
dictionary for the social sciences and right now far more used by me
than edict)).

> My question for Mark is simply "What do you hope to gain from such a
> project"?  And are you willing to put in countless, literally countless
> hours, and why?  What you seem to forget, Niels, is that Dr. Breen is in a
> unique position and has an even more unique personality in his ability to
> get things done with people like us. That's about as easy as "herding cats",
> if you get my meaning.

I do not forget that, I know that a lot of projects start and die.
That's for sure (if I just think about all the stuff I wanted to begin
and maybe did but never found an end…) but someone has somewhere to
start.
What one gets from it - a "living" dictionary if one's able to build
up a community around it. In the beginning there will be one maybe two
persons who do it as a hobby, maybe to generate something they can use
everyday and because of some kind of social thinking or just because
of the attitude that information and knowledge should be free and
available for everyone w/out any restriction he or she makes it free.
Maybe his preference set is a different than yours

> For me, then, Mark's project would be kind of like banging your head against
> the wall. Because it just feels so good when you stop.

Nobody forces you to accompany it.

Niels