[Aspell-user] Aspell Spell Helper produces broken hyperlinks to M-W

[Krzysztof Żelechowski]

For example, see submittable [1]. The entry is in the dictionary but the hyperlink [2] is fake.
I am not sure though whether this is an ASH problem or an M-W problem, compare doable [3].

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[1] <URL:http://suggest.aspell.net/index.php?word=submittable&spelling=english&dict=normal&sugmode=slow>
[2] <URL:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/submittable>
[3] <URL:http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doable>

[Kevin Atkinson]

Post by Krzysztof Żelechowski
For example, see submittable [1]. The entry is in the dictionary but the hyperlink [2] is fake.
I am not sure though whether this is an ASH problem or an M-W problem, compare doable [3].

There is nothing I can do about it. I have no idea what words are
defined in m-w.com so I just blindly create a url which will link to the
definition, if one exists.

[Krzysztof Żelechowski]

Post by Kevin Atkinson

Post by Krzysztof Żelechowski
For example, see submittable [1]. The entry is in the dictionary but the hyperlink [2] is fake.
I am not sure though whether this is an ASH problem or an M-W problem, compare doable [3].

There is nothing I can do about it. I have no idea what words are
defined in m-w.com so I just blindly create a url which will link to the
definition, if one exists.

Why, it is technically possible to pass the hyperlink through a server-side redirect, and periodically examine the URL visited, storing failures in a local database. The redirector could look up known failures and adjust the ultimate result, e.g. trimming "x-able" to "x".

Not that I would push you to do just that, because I do not know whether it is legally possible and economically feasible to work around problems in M-W, although I would use Wiktionary instead where such problems are more manageable (I have notified M-W about the issue, without mentioning ASH as the referrer, but I have got no response from them yet and I do not really expect to get one.)

Just my 2¢, sorry for taking your time from more important problems.
Chris