the miscast Net

[Fred Shapiro]

On Sat, 23 Aug 2003, Thomas M. Paikeday wrote:

> My earlier query about "the Net" was misdirected. Databases can't answer
> my question because their evidence is like that of a museum, not quite
> dead, but static, not dynamic, as the fast-changing English language is,
> especially in regard to usage.

Why are databases such as LexisNexis, ProQuest, or Google Groups static?
They have their limitations, but staticness is not one of them.

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
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