OpenDevil » The Open Devil’s Dictionary

NOTE: OpenDevil is in public beta. You should not yet count on data persistence, especially votes, if you register. This was last modified 22 July 2007
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About OpenDevil

The Open Devil’s Dictionary OpenDevil is this site. It is a repository of satirical, cynical, and ironic lexicons. It includes the content of Ambrose Bierce’s original The Devil’s Dictionary as well as modern incarnations like The Devil’s Dictionary X and The Devil’s Dictionary 2.0. Now how much would you pay?

But wait! That’s not all.

OpenDevil was not only founded to aggregate previous works but to give the brand new The Open Devil’s Dictionary a home. The Open Devil’s Dictionary is open for anyone to contribute. Just register and you’re ready to show the world that you’re just as clever as the greatest American satirist of the fin de siecle.

Philosophy

We believe that every person has at least one good satirical or amusing definition inside.

Where else to look for site information

The sitemap. The FAQ.

Why you should contribute

The Open Devil’s Dictionary opperates on a registered user driven meritocracy and anonymous visitor votes. This is to reward contributors of good material and to avoid repeating in any sense the train wreck called UrbanDictionary.com.

License

Individual dictionaries are under differing copyrights! The Open Devil’s Dictionary content is under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Please see the about page for other dictionaries for license information.

How it works

Register and contribute definitions.
Register here. Add a new entry to The Open Devil’s Dictionary. Wait for visitors and registered users to vote on it.
Contributors of worthwhile definitions go up in level.
Higher level users get perks.
Higher level users sway the site.
The votes of someone who has contributed 10 positively rated entries are weighted ten times higher than that of a non-registered visitor.
Popular contributors will make money.
Higher level users get perks like embedding your own advertising codes (Google and Amazon only at this point) with your definitions.
Entries with a negative rating are removed.
This site is not a bathroom stall. Graffiti will be painted over. Registered contributors and higher level users in particular have the most influence on saying what is and what isn’t trash to be taken out.
Senior editors arbitrate edge cases and complaints.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Don’t see what you want to know? Ask us!

Can I contribute more than one definition at once?
You can add several definitions to a single word via the definition entry form.
If you have authored several or an entire collection of definitions that are in the Bierce vein please ask use about bulk submitting them or getting your own closed “Dictionary” on OpenDevil. You must own the rights to submit anything!

Privacy

User information

We will never sell, trade, or otherwise share your registration information without your express permission. We do not and will not send spam or marketing mail and pretend it’s something else. The only email you will receive from this site will be email you initiate, for example confirmation of a new account or a lost password request, or account related information like policy updates.

The only user tracking we do is for internal metrics and improvements. It is also private and will not be shared except on this site in anonymous ways; eg, most viewed pages statistics.

Cookies and JavaScript

We use cookies to manage user sessions. There is no information in the cookie besides a session id. It is not necessary to use cookies to read pages on site but it is necessary to be a registered user and use some site services.

We use JavaScript for things like definition ratings. You may use the site without JavaScript enabled in your browser but certain features may be unavailable.

Terms of service and user agreement

Notice!

OpenDevil is a beta site. That means while it is operating normally, there may be bugs to iron out and things may not work as advertised. If you discover discrepancies or problems, please let us know and we will do our best to fix things promptly.

User agreement

To use this site you agree to use it ethically. Specifically, you agree to have and use only one registered account for yourself and you agree to use site services only in ways for which they are intended. Any breach of what OpenDevil deems ethical behavior will result in a terminated account.

Our privacy policy is here.

Mature content

This site may contain content not suitable for children.

Abuse

We have a zero tolerance, no warnings policy for site abuse. If you, for example, try to use two accounts to vote yourself up and inflate your experience, both accounts will be canceled and your IP will be blocked. End of story, no discussion.

Automated site visits via bots, scripts, or other special web agents are not allowed. If you want automatic updates, see the dictionary feeds in the sitemap. If you would like to suggest a feed we do not yet provide, please do!

Changes

We reserve the right to alter this agreement at our discretion, with or without notice.

No warranty

We will work in diligent good faith to maintain the site, the data it contains, and its services but they are provided with no warranty. This site is offered as is.

If you do not agree to the letter and spirit of this agreement or are dissatisfied with the site and its service, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue your use of the service.

Copyright and content

Submitting definitions, or any other content you post to OpenDevil, you agree to license your contribution under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Do not register if you do not agree.

Historical remarks

25 July 2007 · Put an announcement/promo lozenge on the DDX.

21 July 2007 · Site is getting very close to beta version. After DBs are adjusted to reset IDs and closed dictionaries, it’s just a few small fixes to content like this, shore up tests and error handling, add policy and copyright information, dictionary descriptions, and it’s ready. Added Google Analytics tracking. Trying a modified PanDictionary icon.