Outlier Dictionary of Chinese Characters
- Thread starter mikelove
- Start date
pdwalker
状元
You guys might want to check your add-in updates. The Outlier guys just snuck in an update:
John Renfroe
进士
We're sneaky like that. 
Just by the way, what's with all the blank space at the bottom of most of the entries? It looks like the place that would have the link for expert entries, but it's just white space.
I don't think you're that sneaky. If you were, would you have made it public that the delays in the updates of your Chinese characters dictionary were partly due to the fact that Outlier Linguistics had started working on a Kanji dictionary?We're sneaky like that.
They’ve been pretty open about the reasoning behind that, and the degree to which it’s helping versus hurting the Chinese dictionary project.
Given how many obstacles they’ve encountered, and how many Kickstarter projects under similar circumstances simply fold, the fact that years later they’re still plugging away and adding entries is pretty amazing
Given how many obstacles they’ve encountered, and how many Kickstarter projects under similar circumstances simply fold, the fact that years later they’re still plugging away and adding entries is pretty amazing
So besides being pretty patient, customers are expected to be grateful and consider themselves lucky!They’ve been pretty open about the reasoning behind that, and the degree to which it’s helping versus hurting the Chinese dictionary project.
Given how many obstacles they’ve encountered, and how many Kickstarter projects under similar circumstances simply fold, the fact that years later they’re still plugging away and adding entries is pretty amazing
Last edited:
People who have bought the dictionary have of course a vested interest in new releases too, no matter how long behind schedule those are. And Outlier Linguistics does thank its costumers for their patience, as they do here: Update #57.Feel whatever you like, I’m not telling you what to feel, I’m just telling you how I feel. And obviously I’m someone who’s going to be sympathetic to people releasing things years behind schedule
Ash
进士
Can you post an image of what you mean?
Ash
进士
@sobriaebritas: The Japanese version has caused very little delay. The paleography is the same. The Japanese part of it (i.e., the meaning trees and example words) is done by a Japanese expert, Ulrich Apel. That takes zero time away from the Chinese version. All John and I have to do is convert the rest of each entry (meaning trade Mandarin pronunciation for Japanese) and edit them. Most of this process is done automatically by computer program. Our online Masterclass has had a much larger effect, but the only part left to do for that is editing the last lesson. What you have to realize is, we have to make enough money to keep doing this full time. If we have to go get day jobs, then things are going to slow way down.
Another thing that has caused delays is writing software to speed up making the Expert entries. I write the vast majority of the code that we use (like 99%). When I'm writing code, I'm not writing dictionary content and vice versa. We actually hired someone else to write code for the software for speeding up the making of Expert entries, but there are multitude of things that interfered with it, so, I'm going to write a local version (meaning only I can use it), and once that's finished, the person we hired is going to make a web-based version (so we can have other people help out with Expert entries). Trying to accomplish a project like this is an exercise in Murphy's Law.
Another thing that has caused delays is writing software to speed up making the Expert entries. I write the vast majority of the code that we use (like 99%). When I'm writing code, I'm not writing dictionary content and vice versa. We actually hired someone else to write code for the software for speeding up the making of Expert entries, but there are multitude of things that interfered with it, so, I'm going to write a local version (meaning only I can use it), and once that's finished, the person we hired is going to make a web-based version (so we can have other people help out with Expert entries). Trying to accomplish a project like this is an exercise in Murphy's Law.
Ash
进士
Yeah, we posted these to our FB group (Chinese Character Discussion -- anyone is welcome to join btw):
Note that no new Expert entries were added. Once I finish the software for speeding up the creation of Expert entries (which should be roughly 2 weeks from now), we're going to put out 100 Expert entries as fast as I can make them. In the meantime, we put out these 250 updated Essentials entries (basically, they were stub entries, but have been filled in -- minus stroke order diagrams, which will be added later)
Here are the lists of chars are new in the new release:
simp:
洁阁爆夆匆震崇愈脉锋舍霍猎伏帐舒递戒阔帕丛搜娜渡堡贡逢欣鸣愤挤焦萨怨踪截伪贫弯欲贴朵贷券尺逻逼稿繁剂摄幅汇艇慈屈奉腊届奋恋晋慌籍扎敏魏腐筑扑桑浓奔赖套汗艘罚潜塞孟衡污荡坡罢牢扣董祥慧牧豪赫彭潮饮屯杰腰艰驱署牲割佳奴鉴遵牵驶陶扶荷摸酸腹筹彻幻幼兽驾腾梁蒂垃薄悄庆隆皆颇辈悉粉辉誉趋貌涌融碍碎隐辑骑撒媒粒邓殖辖袖粗妙宙障枝劝废沟悟侠御邦润侦墨储肩岩掩宪邪袭箭械箱励躲芳澳暴纵殿仁壁迁臂跃勃燃仇蛇凉糊诊旋埋跌郎黎滑惑插姓染返拔绕拖旗飘矛拜违凝胞拟惠狠巡询凤勤泥秦惧惨磨绩凭揭壮凯泰峰狱柱菲闲柳践延凶廷诸胸闹铺综盾雾矿寿
trad:
戀爆夆匆震崇愈脈舍霍騎伏踐舒戒帕頗礙搜娜攝輝渡堡逢欣礦焦鬧鄧霧怨輩截匯輯騰縱欲儲帳朵券診尺逼績稿繁獄轄幅驅屆艇慈屈奉晉齊慌籌籍扎彎敏魏腐桑鑑奔潔違套汗艘慘汙潛塞繞遞孟衡坡詢牢扣董潤蹤祥慧牧湧蕩豪赫彭奮潮屯杰罰腰艱襲署牲割佳奴偵遵獵慶陶扶罷荷遷摸酸獸腹幻幼偽譽牽梁蒂垃薄悄隆皆悉粉貌涌融躍碎邏傑憑劑撒媒粒閒殖袖粗妙宙障綜枝溝悟御貢閣憤邦禦貧趨墨薩肩岩掩邪箭械隱箱憲撲躲芳澳暴貸徹貼涼殿仁壁臂勃燃濃飄仇蛇築糊闊旋埋跌郎黎滑惑插鋒姓染返拔駕拖旗臘駛矛拜凝胞俠惠狠擠巡廢叢勤泥秦磨鋪擬揭壯泰峰凱柱菲鳳柳賴鳴勵延凶廷諸胸勸懼壽盾
Ash
进士
Actually, there was Kickstarter announcement. We didn't list the characters though. That was due to a special request on the FB page. Since it was easy and quick to do, we did it.Thanks, Ash! I think I've joined that group but I don't really use FB so would be nice if any info was also available via the Kickstarter updates / on a public blog or similar if possible.
Ash
进士
Expert entries
trad: 攵變攴高藍立春土剪持屮路尚黑能美也各堂是會監需足射艸舞前草艹造軟無得
simp: 攵攴无高立春监土剪持屮路尚变软黑能美会也蓝䒑各堂是需足射艸舞前草艹造得
Also, I'm getting REALLY close to finishing the software that will allow us to create the Expert entries fairly quickly (by automating basically everything except the actual content creation). Once it's done, we'll put out another 100 or 200 Expert entries within a month. I'll post here once the software is complete.