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Leonardo Da Vinci's Personal Notebook

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the pages-of-history dept.

IZ Reloaded writes "The British Library has made available 14 great books on its website. One of them is a 1508 notebook by Leonardo Da Vinci containing short treatises, notes and drawings of a wide range of subjects from mechanics to the moon. The site allows you to view the original manuscript written in Leonardo's own handwriting."

97 of 135 comments (clear)

  1. Backward handwriting by mr100percent · · Score: 4, Funny

    Will I have to flip my display to read Leonardo Da Vinci's backwards handwriting?

    1. Re:Backward handwriting by kalidasa · · Score: 3, Informative

      Ready for this one - they actually have a "mirror" button to flip it over for you! Now that's nice.

    2. Re:Backward handwriting by legirons · · Score: 3, Funny

      Apparently, he only wrote "click here to download plugin" lots of times... very neat handwriting, although I can't see how it could be interpreted as the design for a helicopter

    3. Re:Backward handwriting by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      No that takes you to another source in cast the server is over loaded.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
  2. Clues! by Eugene+Webby · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bet it has clues about jesus and coverups.

  3. i'm sure... by tehwebguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    it was probably a powerbook. those artsy types are all the same.

    --
    -- lol pwned
    1. Re:i'm sure... by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 1

      No, he used something called "paper" and "pencil". IMO we should start using those again. How practical it would, being able to write and read stuff without worrying about a battery.

    2. Re:i'm sure... by krewemaynard · · Score: 1

      Back in my day, we had to chisel everything into stone! If you had to write an essay for class, when you were done your hands would be nothing but bloody calloused lumps! And we liked it! We LOVED it! We wouldn't have changed a thing!

      I guess you ride either a horse or a bike too, seeing as how practical it is not having to worry about using gas?

      --
      I saw it on Slashdot, it must be true!
    3. Re:i'm sure... by nganju · · Score: 4, Funny


      Using Moore's Law and assuming today's fastest notebook is roughly 3GHz:

      3 000 000 000 * ((1/2)^((2005 - 1508) / 1.5)) = 5.44313816 × 10-91 Hz ...was the clock speed of Davinci's powerbook. And you think YOUR notebook loads Adobe slowly...

      --
      There are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those that can keep their train of thought,
    4. Re:i'm sure... by NoOneInParticular · · Score: 1
      Actually, I'm doing that right now. I'm working together on a project with one other developer (I'm kind of the architect/designer/co-developer of the product), and I'm continuously pushing to him small sketches of UI using only pencil and paper. Much faster than actually creating a design document or a mockup (5 mins. versus 1 hour). I'm planning on putting all these sketches into a design 'book' at some point, just to prove a point. I've got about 5 A4s now. Information worth: about 40 pages of painstacking work electronically.

      Just to be on the safe side, I do enter them into an electronic document at some point, but only after the fact: when the implementation is finished.

    5. Re:i'm sure... by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 1

      I've been reading some books on UML lately and one recommended to draw the schemas on a whiteboard before a meeting, have them modified during and then afterwards digitized with a digital camera.

  4. British surgeon cracks da Vinci code by $exyNerdie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    In other news today, a British surgeon cracks the Da Vinci code:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4289204.stm

    Another version here:
    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_ page/0,5744,16753065%255E2703,00.html

    1. Re:British surgeon cracks da Vinci code by Alwin+Henseler · · Score: 1
      From the linked bbc.co.uk article: "Mr Wells and Leonardo feature in The Secret of Drawing which begins on BBC Two on October 8."

      Checked it on BBC text, that's today 20:10 UK time, just under 5 hours from time of this posting. Description: "The secret of drawing (new series): Andrew Graham-Dixon explores the influence that drawing has had on culture". No mention of Leonardo though, guess it's just a small part of the subject matter.

      -- This message will self-destruct in 5 sec... ehm, hours.
    2. Re:British surgeon cracks da Vinci code by brian0918 · · Score: 1

      Thank you Captain Dupevious.

  5. At last by squoozer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course they are only allowed to do this because the copyright period has just expired.

    --
    I used to have a better sig but it broke.
    1. Re:At last by Slashdiddly · · Score: 1

      Fear not! I bet there is now a copyright on this particular scan.

  6. Needs Shockwave by pipacs · · Score: 4, Informative

    Needs Shockwave. Thank you, goodbye.

    1. Re:Needs Shockwave by the_unknown_soldier · · Score: 5, Informative

      from their site:

      There are also alternative non-Shockwave versions of three of the volumes. More will be added soon.

    2. Re:Needs Shockwave by kraut · · Score: 1

      There's a shockwave-free link for at least some of them.

      --
      no taxation without representation!
    3. Re:Needs Shockwave by Seehund · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "Accessible version of the British Library's Turning the Pages system for viewing our great books."

      So they do understand that the proprietary-plugin-dependent version is inaccessible! :)
      Well, that's a start, I guess. Soon they might find out that it's unnecessary and pointless too.

      --
      Help savingAmigaOS and a free PowerPC market
    4. Re:Needs Shockwave by pipacs · · Score: 1

      Thanks, but these are three unrelated books. Over time, hopefully...

    5. Re:Needs Shockwave by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Not being a luddite, I of course used the Shockwave version. If you had tried it also, you would've noted that there was a good reason for it: it includes a cool magnifier to view the pages, as well as some other neat features.

      Thank god we have people out there that aren't afraid to use technology to make things better, even if a small number of people whine about it. If people like you ran the world, we'd still be stuck using 80x25 column green screens.

      And, as other people have pointed out, there is an alternative link. Nice of them.

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    6. Re:Needs Shockwave by idonthack · · Score: 1

      They don't have the DaVinci drawings in a non-Shockwave format. Just Golden Haggadah, Lindisfarne Gospels, and Blackwell's Herbal.
      ---
      The only thing I hate more than a hypocrite is a person who hates hypocrites.
      Generated by SlashdotRndSig via GreaseMonkey

      --
      Why is it that when you believe something it's an opinion, but when I believe something it's a manifesto?
    7. Re:Needs Shockwave by ScottyH · · Score: 1

      I wish I had some mod points, because I want to mod you down badly, you close minded fool.

    8. Re:Needs Shockwave by codefreez · · Score: 1

      Uhh, how is that close minded? The problem is, unless I'm mistaken, that non-Windows and MacOS users can't view this at all (at least without doing something like using the crossover plugin to run the shockwave player.)

    9. Re:Needs Shockwave by Almost-Retired · · Score: 1

      Nice, needs shockwave. Sure, hit the macromedia site, follow the shockwave links, and get told that a 20 day old mozilla-1.7.12 install is some oddball thing they don't support. "If running netscape, please upgrade to at least 6.1." Lemme see, that would be what, 5 years old now?

      What time warp are these folks at macromedia living in?

      --
      Cheers, Gene
      "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
        soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
      -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
      99.35% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly

    10. Re:Needs Shockwave by GiMP · · Score: 1

      The odd thing is that while they have a Linux flash player, there is *still* no shockwave player for Linux... but I think we stopped complaining about that at least 5 years ago.

    11. Re:Needs Shockwave by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well it seems a bit close-minded to get up in arms about what is less then 1% of the people viewing websites. The fact that they provided a rich environment to view these works is good. As in all business models trying to sort out the final 10% of a probelm is always dispraportinatly expensive.

      You can always get the text from project guttenburg, but then that's not a rich environment.

      Stop whinging, you made a choice for a small platform and so that has consiquences. It's people who criticise these projects because they are not inclusive of a tiny minority of users that are vastly short sighted. Afterall they did not have to do anything other then show the books once every 20 years under glass in the British Library. The fact that they have done so and provided commentries and the ability to magnify etc should be applauded.

    12. Re:Needs Shockwave by Curmudgeonlyoldbloke · · Score: 1

      What they've done is actually extremely useful - they've provided a perfect example of what Shockwave is NOT useful for.

      The non-Shockwave version of the Lindisfarne Gospels work quite well (assuming that you open multiple pages in browser tabs, and zoom in and out of images as required).

    13. Re:Needs Shockwave by Reziac · · Score: 1

      Except for the leetle problem that if you have javascript disabled, the non-flash page instantly refreshes back to the flash-only page. (If you're quick with the STOP button you can freeze it there, but if not.. round and round you go.)

      Come on, folks, if you want to make something accessable, do it for everyone, not just for the "right" browser settings!

      --
      ~REZ~ #43301. Who'd fake being me anyway?
    14. Re:Needs Shockwave by Wolfbone · · Score: 1

      "As in all business models trying to sort out the final 10% of a probelm is always dispraportinatly expensive."

      The British Library is a (largely) publicly funded national resource, not a commercial entertainment and media company.

      "Afterall they did not have to do anything other then show the books once every 20 years under glass in the British Library."

      Yes - if the governing board decided that such a policy would count as fulfilling the purpose of the Library and its legal obligations under the British Library Act: http://www.bl.uk/about/blact.html - but I doubt most interested parties would agree and I doubt Parliament would put up with it for very long.

      That they use proprietary and/or less than optimally accessible formats unnecessarily liberally may seem a trivial complaint to you, but I disagree and it is certainly not unreasonable or close-minded to suggest that they haven't done quite as well for the public as they might have done this time:

      http://www.pixelwit.com/flip/PageFlip.html
      http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/msg/corp/flash dreamworks.html

    15. Re:Needs Shockwave by Omniscientist · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well, instead of complaining, does anyone have any tips for running Shockwave on Linux? Is it possible to use Wine or Cedega, or do we have to use something like Crossover?

  7. This is why... by zegebbers · · Score: 2, Informative
    the internet is amazing. To be able to view this sort of document almost instantly is fantastic. Thank you British Library.

    For those who would otherwise not view these, please do, in addition to the items mtneioned int he summary, there are also originals from Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll and the first atlas of Europe. Amazing.

    --
    Unpretentious Sydney reviews by unqualified Sydney reviewers
  8. Great, but only the beginning.... by dr.+loser · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is a wonderful start to providing mass access to rare manuscripts.

    Now if only they would post the complete papers of Milo Rambaldi....

    1. Re:Great, but only the beginning.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Perhaps a better site provides more information. Hope you didn't get suckered into believing it.

    2. Re:Great, but only the beginning.... by dr.+loser · · Score: 1

      It was meant as a joke - guess I should've been a bit more explicit.

  9. Re:It doesn't work? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Write a nasty letter to the British Museum's tech department.
    No need for Shockwave "Director" for displaying a few simple images.
    Hell, porn sites manage streaming video just in flash.

    And Java would work as well or better for both.

    Anyway.
    No, Macromedia has never released that for linux. Probably requires DirectX or something.

  10. Not the only treasure by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There's the original manuscript of Alice in Wonderland on there, too. Very cool!

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
  11. Messy handwriting by aussie_a · · Score: 1

    Sheeesh, he had some messy handwriting. You think he could have taken a little care.

    1. Re:Messy handwriting by magarity · · Score: 1, Flamebait

      he had some messy handwriting. You think he could have taken a little care.
       
      You don't know many engineer/inventor types, do you?

    2. Re:Messy handwriting by 6ame633k · · Score: 1

      Your looking at HIS handwriting? I would hate to be judged on that - I havn't written anything by hand since the 8th grade.... I'm pretty sure he painted a few nice pictures too :)

      --
      You had me at merlot
    3. Re:Messy handwriting by magarity · · Score: 1

      Score:2, Flamebait
       
      And someone else obviously doesn't know a humorous ribbing when they see it.

  12. A design document without use cases ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...with crappy graphics and in a unreadable language...

    Bad Leonard !!
    I'm sure this guy is a kernel developer

  13. Re:Shockwave by imsabbel · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Well, if they were available as pfds, they werent accessible at all for anybody besides schoolars that are intimate in his language and calligraphy.

    The explaining texts and voiceovers are the real meat of this thing.

    --
    HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
  14. pdf by rhyd · · Score: 2

    godDamn motherfucking flash. If ever there was content perfect for pdf format it would be these books. I'd love to know the justification - probably to stop printing or something. No matter how lavishly illustrated a 14th century Hebrew manuscript might be, I am dubious that its going to contain any animated images, background music, or annoying soundeffects, or blinking text or any of the myriad of shiny accesibility-blocking nonsense that justifies macromedias devil-spawn. Personally i would have preferred plain html translated text and annotations with thumnailed pngs linking to the original scanned image - too simple? Although close the limited accesibility subset provided requires realplayer - rediculous.

    --
    'Be the change you want to see in the world' - Al Gore
    1. Re:pdf by ScentCone · · Score: 2, Funny

      rediculous

      So it's not only diculous, it's re-diculous? That's twice as diculous!

      Not to ridicule your spelling or anything, since your larger point feels about right. Plain HTML and simple images seem so much more sensible, and platform agnostic. But then, I'm an old-fashioned guy. I don't like tags, either.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    2. Re:pdf by Declarent · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I wasn't aware you could put voice commentary, the magnifier, and the text reversing mirror in a PDF document.

      This is where we, as technophiles go wrong. The only thing that matters to us is the technology used to deliver the content, and we want the content to conform.

      Everyone else wants the content to look and feel a certain way, and just select a tool out of the toolbox to make it so.

      I think movies should be in PDF, too! One frame per page, that way everyone can see them without having to download a different tool!

      It's not about the glass, it's about the water.

    3. Re:pdf by rhyd · · Score: 1

      that is incorrect.
      the correct spelling of rhyd-icule is :
      r h y d i c u l e
      rhyd-icule
      now try :
      spelling-nazi

      --
      'Be the change you want to see in the world' - Al Gore
  15. Re:MY NOTEBOOK SAYS: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ok, show of hands:

    Who thinks Slashdot need to give a breathalyzer test to users before they let you press the Submit button?

  16. available via project gutenberg by rillopy · · Score: 5, Informative

    The complete notebooks have been available from project gutenberg for a year and a half (without the pictures) at: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/5000 It's also been on the top 100 list for a long time.

    1. Re:available via project gutenberg by kalidasa · · Score: 1

      In an English translation. The MSS the BL is offering are facsimiles of the original with illustrations, in the original Italian.

  17. If he was supposed to be so smart by Mr.+Neutron · · Score: 2, Funny

    how come he didn't write in English?

    --
    dinner: it's what's for beer
    1. Re:If he was supposed to be so smart by Maqueo · · Score: 1

      As you hopefully eventually might find out, a lot of smart people are unamerican ;)

  18. What about Paul? by writermike · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why is "Paul is dead" written backwards on page three?

    Does anyone know? [[shrugs]]

    --
    If Nalgene water bottles are outlawed, only outlaws will have Nalgene water bottles.
  19. Notation in margin... by TFGeditor · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...that Mona Lisa is such a bitch!

    --
    Ignorance is curable, stupid is forever.
  20. In fascist italy... by cached · · Score: 5, Funny

    in Italia fascista, i taccuini li pubblicano

    --
    +1 funny, -2 overrated. Life isn't fair.
    1. Re:In fascist italy... by dedioste · · Score: 1

      What do you mean?

    2. Re:In fascist italy... by jonbryce · · Score: 1

      Translated from Italian to English

      "In fascist Italy, the notebook publishes you."

    3. Re:In fascist italy... by dedioste · · Score: 1

      mmm... babelfish?
      Btw, the translation is wrong, it's "In fascist Italy, they publish notebooks"
      Well, I'm Italian, so i understand the grammar of the message but I don't understand the meaning.
      Most "italian misteries" (murders, bombs and so on) would be resolved if someone was to publish politician's notebooks.

    4. Re:In fascist italy... by jonbryce · · Score: 1

      I understand it as an attempt at least at translating our "In Soviet Russia" joke.

  21. Philosopher's stone by Sattwic · · Score: 1

    Bet some consipracy theories and books to come out now!

  22. Awesome! by Dirtside · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hope there's something in there about the making of Titanic. I loved that movie.

    --
    "Destroy science and religion. Science would re-emerge exactly the same; but not religion." - Penn Jillette, paraphrased
  23. Re:Great.. Shockwave.. Grrr by PornMaster · · Score: 2

    Why do you feel the need to announce this?

    You're a proud rebel?

    Plenty of people had already mentioned that it was Shockwave. And I'm sure that the reason that you can't view Shockwave is one of choice...

    --
    500GB of disk, 5TB of transfer, $5.95/mo
  24. Sure, but... by hummassa · · Score: 3, Funny

    seek & search times are a bitch on those.

    --
    It's better to be the foot on the boot than the face on the pavement. ~~ tkx Kadin2048
  25. what about the Necronomicon ? by tyroneking · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can't wait until that comes on-line; I'm booking my trip to the Arctic right now...

    1. Re:what about the Necronomicon ? by mattthomas · · Score: 1

      Benatir! Cararkau! Dedos! Yog-Sothoth!

    2. Re:what about the Necronomicon ? by tyroneking · · Score: 1

      On my god! Sanity check ...

  26. Da Vinci's Notebook by Mr2001 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Most people remember Leonardo Da Vinci for his paintings and inventions, but did you know Da Vinci's Notebook also has history's first recorded biography of The Sneak?

    --
    Visual IRC: Fast. Powerful. Free.
  27. Important draft work by hotspotbloc · · Score: 4, Funny
    It's amazing that atleast one of his earlier drafts of his work at the Sistine Chapel survived.

    Let us give thanks to the FSM for this miracle.

    --
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
    1. Re:Important draft work by dedioste · · Score: 4, Funny

      "It's amazing that at least one of his earlier drafts of his work at the Sistine Chapel survived."

      It's even more amazing when you think that Michelangelo did the Decorations of the Sistine Chapel!

    2. Re:Important draft work by UserGoogol · · Score: 1

      Yeah, they originally hired Leonardo, but then the Church wouldn't let him paint it because apparently the Flying Spaghetti Monster contradicts some bits of the Catholic dogma.

      Damned heathens.

      --
      "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity." -- Hanlon's Razor
    3. Re:Important draft work by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I realized that right after I hit submit but thought "it's /., who will know?" Besides, it let me get in a FSM joke. =)

      --
      "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
  28. Advent Of E-Books by mercedo · · Score: 1

    This is the very autoritative beginning of the advent of e-books, welcome!

    --
    Ancient Greek Philosophers -18c Enlightenment Thinkers -Slashdotters
  29. Fantastic! Now if I only... by Hamster+Lover · · Score: 1

    could read Italian. Maybe we should run the result through Babelfish...

  30. Original? by tepples · · Score: 1

    I bet there is now a copyright on this particular scan.

    Was there substantial new material added to each scan to make the additions an original work? If not, then no dice, at least under U.S. law.

  31. Re:Shockwave by mikael · · Score: 1

    If you visit the website, you can see they wanted to add various animation effects, including flicking to the previous and next pages, and having the paper around the wooden handles of a scroll appear to increase and decrease in diameter as the user moves through the document.

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  32. you know why? by spectrokid · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It is often said he was using this to encrypt his writings, but this is BS. Da Vinci was left-handed and in order not to wipe out his own writing he just wrote right to left. When he had to write to others, he simply switched back to normal.

    --

    10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then

    1. Re:you know why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      During art history class when the professor mentioned da Vinci's "code" a student at the university I attended commented "perhaps he was dyslexic". While the student made this comment he was writing class notes with his left hand from right to left at the same time he was writing an essay for another class with his right hand from left to right and yes, this was a frequent habit of that particular dyslexic student.

    2. Re:you know why? by EtherealStrife · · Score: 1

      Are you sure he said *dyslexic* and not epileptic?

  33. Major Boost to Conspiracy Theorists by donnacha · · Score: 1

    One aspect of the notebooks sure to excite conspiracy theorists is the fact that 87% of the illustrations of Jesus' penis and Mary Magdelene's vagina.

  34. Format of the pages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    I could not agree more about the goddamflash comments. I am not able to praise the guy who developed the Flashblock Firefox extension enough. This one single extension has improved the quality of my web life more than ANYTHING else in the past couple of years. To split hairs this website uses Shockwave not Flash per se - however the experience of shockwave is just as viral as flash. Same difference really. Note that the site does say that there are non shockwave versions of 3 of the books (haven't actually explored this so these could be Flash alternatives - gawd, hopefully not) There's also an link to make comments via email about the "Turning the Pages" site. That is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to persuade the designers to use a more friendly format and ditch the Flash/Shockwave crap.

  35. www.bl.uk by rkww · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Notice how they've got a whole second level domain to themselves - not www.bl.co.uk or www.bl.gov.uk, just www.bl.uk.

  36. The other notebook by Naomi_the_butterfly · · Score: 2, Funny

    I prefer the other Da Vinci's Notebook... (Get the MP3 here).

  37. Is it mirrored? by NaveNosnave · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ha ha! Get it? Da Vinci...handwriting...mirrored? Ah ha ha! I kill myself!

  38. Accessible? by tepples · · Score: 1

    The only thing that matters to us is the technology used to deliver the content, and we want the content to conform.

    What if some of us have a disability, and some technologies are designed to better accommodate disabilities than other technologies are?

    I think movies should be in PDF, too!

    That's called a "storyboard" or a "graphic novelization".

  39. Re:Great.. Shockwave.. Grrr by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Yes, its my choice. And they should choose to support me and not use that crap.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  40. Warning. Macromedia-worm-plugin by nazsco · · Score: 1

    using opera8.5 and also with the latest firefox, the newest flash plugin for windows install macromedia shockwave plugin without telling you nothing! amazing.

  41. Octavo by ml10422 · · Score: 1

    If you're interested in historical books, check out Octavo. Dreamed up by John Warnock, they turn old books into high-quality PDFs:

    http://octavo.com/

  42. It's Leonardo, not da Vinci by Cerdic · · Score: 2, Informative

    da Vinci the name of the area where he lived. His name was simply Leonardo (this was before last names were used). Very common mistake almost everyone makes.

    --
    Advice for my fellow geeks: before seeking out that threesome you dream of, you might see what a TWOsome is like first.
  43. Re:Great.. Shockwave.. Grrr by roadrunnerro · · Score: 1

    Hmm - let's see: support whatever you're using [maybe an abacus or an ironing board - who knows..] or expend less resources and give proper features [zoom, mirror, pretty graphics] to the vast majority of computer users. Tough choice, ain't it?

    Macromedia announced they don't plan on making a linux shockwave plugin - go make your own or, if you don't like that, go make a better alternative. Just go. <g,d>

  44. Harmonisation by tepples · · Score: 1

    <sarcasm>Yeah, because U.S. law applies to the work of an Italian being shown by a British Library.</sarcasm>

    It does when an alleged infringement of the British Library's alleged copyright occurs on United States soil. (Slashdot is on U.S. soil.) Besides, harmonisation and harmonization of the specifics of copyright law among Berne Convention party states have ensured that the rules for what counts as a new work are similar throughout the developed world. I used U.S. law as an example because I'm most familiar with the laws of my own country.

  45. Plugin? by tacocat · · Score: 1

    This sucks!

    There's no plugin for viewing these under Firefox. What a pain in the butt.

    Why couldn't they just come with something that you can actually share?

  46. oh wow by BigBir3d · · Score: 1

    discussion threads like this are why i avoid /. nowadays... a bunch of "purists" bitching about how some plugin they don't like, and probably only ever used back in the pre-1.0 days, is being used at the site in question. at least the brits are willing to put information of this caliber online. i thank them for it, and so should you.

    1. Re:oh wow by Craggles · · Score: 1

      Or have NEVER used if they run Linux.

      There is no Shockwave for Linux. It's got little to do with being purists, and more to do with it being a proprietary plugin, which is not supported on all platforms.

  47. Re:Was Leo a geek or a nerd? by unlabeledchick · · Score: 1

    In my opinion, he was in a class of people that once existed, but do so no more, or are at least rare enough to be considered extinct. By today's standards he was probably both a geek and a nerd, but the variety of his ideas and creations have been exhibited, used and cherished far more than any recent geeks or nerds who have relatively one-track 'careers' by comparison. He seemed to have an understanding of our world greater than any other person, past or present (when taking into account the technological advances we have made since the renaissance).
    <br>I think the best ways to get into the head of any person, is to study their work, as close to the original source as possible. If you can read their handwriting, so much the better.

  48. Re:Fake !! by mdecarle · · Score: 1

    His code is hosted on SourceForge !

    Still in planning phase, although there's a lot of CVS commits already.

  49. Re:Needs Shockwave AND IE by spiko-carpediem · · Score: 1

    the new window won't even open on ff1.7.12