To quibble a bit, in American English, Webster's is the traditional dictionary. That's why most American English dictionaries have "Webster" in their name, even if, as Somers writes, their "contents bear no relation to Webster’s original." It's the leaden, imprecise form of definition Somers criticizes that is a break with Webster's tradition.
>>kragen+(OP)
Hah, that is, perhaps, a perfect example of the article’s point!
“Conventional” might’ve been a better choice of word than “traditional”, or something else that better conveys the meaning of “in common usage today”, without the “in the olden days” baggage that comes with “traditional”