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Tell HN: (dictionary|thesaurus).reference.com is now a spam site

51 points akkartik | 2 comments | 29 Jun 25 18:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.424s | source

I use it all the time, so this must be recent.
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mdaniel ◴[29 Jun 25 19:19 UTC] No.44415566[source]▶
I'm just curious: does your local dictionary and thesaurus lack some feature that those sites used to provide for you? Maybe I'm just in a privileged position because the dictionary and thesaurus Spotlight integration is so handy, and I'd bet that Windows doesn't have nice things, or if they have them they're now also enshittified
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1. tgv ◴[29 Jun 25 19:49 UTC] No.44415807[source]▶
There's no such thing in a Windows installation as iOS and macOS offer out of the box. There are apps, though, available via the Microsoft Store. A free one, called Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus says this in its privacy policy:

III. Types of personal data collected

3.1 While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain Personal Data. The categories of Personal Data may include, but are not limited to:

• First name and surname

• Country and country code

• Email address

• Phone number (if applicable)

• Habitual residence (if applicable)

• Google, Facebook, Huawei, Microsoft and/ or Apple credentials and profile pictures (if applicable)

• Billing and payment data – credit or debit card number, bank account information (if applicable) and information about payments

So, yeah.

• Cookies and Usage Data – device type, device ID and/ or IP address, crash logs data, diagnostic data, music files data and other information as clarified below (if applicable)

• Communications and content, including audio, video, text (typed, inked, dictated, or otherwise), in a message, email, or chat (if applicable).

replies(1): >>44416511 #
2. tacostakohashi ◴[29 Jun 25 21:19 UTC] No.44416511[source]▶
It's really depressing that such obvious, classical applications for computers like replacing paper dictionaries, phone directories, etc. basically can't exist because if they did, they'd have to be enshittified into tools for advertising or surveillance.