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XML for Ancients

Posted by michael on from the still-pumped-from-using-the-chisel dept.

Andrew writes: "More than 5,000 years ago, the very first information revolution occurred when some unknown research team in Mesopotamia found a way to download and store language through a killer application called "writing.". The cuneiform digital library will have 60,000 texts ready in a couple of years. Using SVG and XML to represent their documents. Similar efforts are underway for hieroglyphics."

8 of 118 comments (clear)

  1. ... by evel+aka+matt · · Score: 4, Funny

    How Snowcrash.

  2. It appears that... by Teancom · · Score: 5, Funny

    they are also writing their tcp packets on clay tablets, and attempting to send them down the wire. That was the quickest /.'ing I've *ever* seen.

  3. First case of poor infrastructure planning... by gregwbrooks · · Score: 5, Funny
    "640 clay tablets is enough for anyone!"


    -- William "Scorpion King" Gates

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    "It was a summer's tale: Just a boy, his Linux, and a head full of dreams..."
  4. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    "More than 5,000 years ago, the very first information revolution occurred when some unknown research team in Mesopotamia found a way to download and store language through a killer application called "writing.". The cuneiform digital library will have 60,000 texts ready in a couple of years. Using SVG and XML to represent their documents.


    Sooo... this project has been going on for about 5,000 years, they're finally going to be making a large release in a few years, and we're *JUST NOW* hearing about this?

    My *god*, talk about keeping the PR lid on tight!
  5. XML is a poor choice for cuneiform by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    IIRC, cuneiform writing is composed entirely of angle brackets. To write this in XML, every character is going to have to be escaped!

  6. XML Hieroglyphics by darkov · · Score: 2, Funny

    I believe the ancient Egyptians avoiding using XML at the time because of concerns over RAND licencing and prefered the patent-free ideograms.

    No, really.

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  7. Should story links also have [url] notation? by KNicolson · · Score: 2, Funny

    I was worried I might end up here instead...

  8. XML for Ancients? by brad-d · · Score: 5, Funny

    All I can think of now is the new book series:

    "XML for Mummies"

    At least in this case when you see the reviews "this book will put you to sleep" it really doesn't matter.

    --
    -Brad