Abstract

In this paper we discuss advantages and disadvantages of e-dictionaries over print dictionaries in order to answer one increasingly relevant question: is digital always better? We compare the e-content from Oxford University Press and Merriam-Webster flagship dictionaries against their most recent print counterparts. The resulting data shows that the move from print to digital, against popular perception, results in a loss of lexicographical detail and scope. After assessing the user-friendliness of the e-dictionaries’ sites in both desktop and mobile app formats, we conclude that Merriam-Webster currently utilizes the digital medium somewhat better, while Oxford University Press is the current market leader in collaborations with tech giants such as Google. Most crucially, however, both companies have yet to devise and implement optimal ways to balance advertising noise and lexicographical content. Finally, we compare the virtual popularity of e-dictionaries according to their social media efforts and product partnerships. The greatest problem e-dictionaries currently face is that content does routinely change in unspecified and even undocumented ways. Despite these significant disadvantages, the convenience of mobile online accessibility appears to outweigh the concern with the reliability and quality of content.

中文翻译：

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数字化总是更好吗？比较两个英文印刷词典及其数字对等词典

摘要

在本文中，我们讨论电子词典相对于印刷词典的优缺点，以回答一个日益相关的问题：数字化总是更好吗？我们将牛津大学出版社和Merriam-Webster旗舰词典的电子内容与它们的最新印刷版本进行比较。所得数据表明，从印刷技术转向数字技术，与流行的看法背道而驰，这导致词典详细信息和范围的损失。在评估了台式计算机和移动应用程序格式的电子词典网站的用户友好性之后，我们得出结论：Merriam-Webster目前在数字媒体方面的使用有所改善，而牛津大学出版社则是与此类技术巨头合作的当前市场领导者作为Google。但是，最关键的是 两家公司尚未设计和实施最佳方法来平衡广告噪音和词典内容。最后，我们根据电子词典在社交媒体上的努力和产品合作伙伴关系，比较了虚拟词典的虚拟受欢迎程度。电子词典当前面临的最大问题是，内容确实会以未指定甚至未记录的方式进行常规更改。尽管存在这些明显的缺点，但移动在线可访问性的便利性似乎超过了内容的可靠性和质量。