FAQ
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- What
is a Glossary?
- What's
the difference between a Glossary and a Dictionary?
- Where do
you find all these glossaries and dictionaries?
- Which
glossaries are included?
- Why do
some listings have long descriptions and others none?
- How
are they categorised?
- Is
the Glossarist up-to-date?
- How are
the glossaries ranked in the directory pages and search function?
- Does
popularity matter?
What
is a Glossary?
A glossary is
a collection of words and/or with definitions that pertain to a
particular subject or field of endeavour.
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What's
the difference between a Glossary and a Dictionary?
Well,
theoretically, a dictionary
is a collection of words and definitions about all subjects in a
particular language. Having
said this, many of the collections of definitions on websites are
called dictionaries but should really be called glossaries as the list
of definitions is restricted to specific subject/s. These are also
included in the Glossarist whereas general language dictionaries are
at this stage not included.
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Where do
you find all these glossaries and dictionaries?
On the internet! Duh! No really, all joking aside, I spend hour
upon hour scouring the internet for glossaries and dictionaries of all
kinds. I also use spidering software to help find new glossaries and
dictionaries.
Sometimes I target a
particular topic that is low in numbers, sometimes I just wander.
Sometime I start looking at one topic, and then end up wandering; well
you know how the internet is...
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Which
glossaries are included?
I have a
spider that roams the internet looking for glossaries. When found
these are all included in the searchable database. Almost any glossary
can be included in the Glossarist. The only exceptions are those to do
with promoting racism, pornography and the likes.
However, glossaries about these subjects for therapeutic purposes may be included. Ultimately, the decision whether to include a glossary or
not remains solely with me.
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Why do
some listings have long descriptions and others none?
At the moment I am looking for a balance between quantity and
quality. No use coming here if I only have three glossaries listed
right? And yet no use having thousands of listings if they are all
trash right? But I am only one person.
So I use spidering software
to help find the glossaries and dictionaries and to retrieve the metatags.
I am amazed however how many pages are without even the basic metatags
such as title, keywords and description. So if you see a listing
without a description, that means the original page also had no
description.
However, I am also in the
continual process of visiting each glossary or dictionary to catalogue
it, and am now starting to write appropriate descriptions. It's a
lengthy process, but the quality of the data will always be improving.
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How
are they categorised?
Placing the
glossaries in the directory is very much a hands on project. I try to eyeball
every glossary before it is included in the directory, and try to
place it in as many appropriate categories as necessary. However
glossaries some are categorised automatically to save a little time. I am adding
new glossaries all the time and endeavour to fill out categories that
are lacking in content. I am also looking to improve and refine the
directory on a constant basis by adding or modifying categories or
inclusion criteria as needs arise.
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Is
the Glossarist up-to-date?
The glossary
database is re-spidered, checked, and updated regularly. This
way I try to keep dead links to a minimum but, by the very changeable
nature of the internet, as soon as the database is uploaded a link
will probably go dead. If you find a dead link, please report it to me
through the Bugs 'n Sugs page so I can fix it.
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How
are the glossaries ranked in the directory pages and search function?
When spidered,
the meta tags of the glossary, plus other information, are collected
and used in the database.
The Search
page matches glossaries that include the search term(s) in the meta
tags, title and description, and prioritises the results for
relevance.
The Directory
pages return only those glossaries that have been manually tagged for
inclusion in the particular category.
Whilst not
giving away too many secrets, HTML meta tags (Title, Description and
Keywords) are a must, and the text content of your glossary is also
important. Whether you call yourself a glossary or a dictionary is
also important!
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Does
popularity matter?
Well, Yes,
and No.
If your
glossary is already linked to by other sites, there is more chance of
me finding it. But once found, the number of links to your page is of
no consequence to this database.
I hope this
helps you understand the workings behind Glossarist.com a little
better. However if you have any further questions, please let me know
via the Bugs 'n Sugs page.
