Monde of
December 7, 1997, Annie Kahn wrote:

"The Logos site is much more than a mere dictionary or a collection of links to
other on-line dictionaries. A cornerstone of the system is the document search
software, which processes a corpus of literary texts available free of charge on
the Web. If you search for the definition or the translation of a word
('didactique', for example), you get not only the answer sought, but also a
quote from one of the literary works containing the word (in our case, an essay
by Voltaire). All it takes is a click on the mouse to access the whole text or
even to order the book, thanks to a partnership agreement with Amazon.com, the
well-known on-line book shop. Foreign translations are also available. If
however no text containing the required word is found, the system acts as a
search engine, sending the user to other websites concerning the term in
question. In the case of certain words, you can even hear the pronunciation. If
there is no translation currently available, the system calls on the public to
contribute. Everyone can make their own suggestion, after which Logos
translators and the company verify the translations forwarded."

In the same article, Rodrigo Vergara, the Head of Logos, explained:

"We wanted all our translators to have access to the same translation tools. So
we made them available on the Internet, and while we were at it we decided to
make the site open to the public. This made us extremely popular, and also gave
us a lot of exposure. In fact the operation attracted a great number of
customers, and also allowed us to widen our network of translators, thanks to
the contacts made in the wake of this initiative."

The dictionary directories are invaluable tools for linguists, such as
Dictionnaires electroniques (Electronic Dictionaries), OneLook Dictionaries and
A Web of Online Dictionaries.

Dictionnaires electroniques (Electronic Dictionaries) is an extensive list of
electronic dictionaries prepared by the Section francaise des Services
linguistiques centraux (SLC-f) (French Section of the Central Linguistic
Services) of the Swiss Federal Administration, and classified into five main
sections: abbreviations and acronyms; monolingual dictionaries; bilingual
dictionaries; multilingual dictionaries; and geographical information. The
search of a dictionary is also possible by key-words.

Marcel Grangier, head of this section, answered my questions in his e-mail of