The Open Dictionary

Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA)
Department of Music, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 USA

Abstract:

The Open Dictionary can be described as a hierarchical on-line meta-encyclopedia with competing entries. It is not a dictionary in the usual sense, since ``definitions'' are typically links to home pages on the Web. A good ``definition home page'' provides comprehensive information about the topic in a top-down manner. Further unlike ordinary dictionaries, content is organized hierarchically by context.

The prototype Open Dictionary website is presently implemented as a directory website enforcing a dictionary paradigm on its contents. In its simplest mode of operation, it can be browsed or searched as a hierarchical, on-line dictionary or encyclopedia.

Users may rate existing ``definitions'' as well as add new ones. Definitions generally compete; that is, there can be any number of definitions competing to define the same term in a particular context. Two parallel rating systems rank the competing definitions: (1) a popular rating that anyone can influence, and (2) an ``experts'' rating. Experts in each context will be established by a ``web of trust'' mechanism seeded by cognizant context editors.

The initial driving application for the Open Dictionary was context-aware automatic link installation (for on-line documents). For an example of a Web document automatically linked using the Open Dictionary, see
http://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/mdft/Introduction_DFT.html.