author
Grady Ward
b. 1951
Best known for creating the public-domain Moby Project, this American software engineer and lexicographer has had an unusually wide-ranging career, from early computer work to outspoken Internet activism. He is also the author of technothrillers and other writing that reflects his long interest in language, technology, and free expression.
1 Audiobook
Moby Hyphenation List
by Grady Ward
About the author
Born on April 4, 1951, William Grady Ward is an American software engineer, lexicographer, and Internet activist. He is especially known for the Moby Project, a large set of English-language lexical resources that he released to the public domain in 1996, making it widely useful to writers, programmers, and language enthusiasts.
Before that work became widely known, Ward had a career in computing that included work as a senior systems programmer at Apple. His public profile later grew through his role in online free-speech and privacy battles, especially during the Scientology-versus-the-Internet disputes, where he became a notable and controversial figure.
As an author, Ward has also published fiction, including technothrillers. Across both his technical and literary work, the same themes tend to stand out: a fascination with words, a deep engagement with computing, and a strong interest in how information should be shared.