Re: What is a URL? And What is a URI

On 11/12/10 5:59 AM, Patrick Durusau wrote:
> Dave,
>
> Thanks!
>
> I was working on a much longer and convoluted response.
>
> Best to refer to the canonical source and let it go.
>
> Patrick
>
>
> On Fri, 2010-11-12 at 09:22 +0000, Dave Reynolds wrote:
>> On Thu, 2010-11-11 at 12:52 -0500, Kingsley Idehen wrote:
>>> All,
>>>
>>> As the conversation about HTTP responses evolves, I am inclined to
>>> believe that most still believe that:
>>>
>>> 1. URL is equivalent to a URI
>>> 2. URI is a fancier term for URI
>>> 3. URI is equivalent to URL.
>>>
>>> I think my opinion on this matter is clear, but I am very interested
>>> in the views of anyone that don't agree with the following:
>>>
>>> 1. URI is an abstraction for Identifiers that work at InterWeb scale
>>> 2. A URI can serve as a Name
>>> 3. A URI can serve as an Address
>>> 4. A Name != Address
>>> 5. We locate Data at Addresses
>>> 6. Names can be used to provide indirection to Addresses i.e., Names
>>> can Resolve to Data.
>> Why would this be a matter of opinion? :)
>>
>> After all RFC3986 et al are Standards Track and have quite clear
>> statements on what Identifier connotes in the context of URI.
>> Such as:
>>
>> """
>> Identifier
>>
>>        An identifier embodies the information required to distinguish
>>        what is being identified from all other things within its scope of
>>        identification.  Our use of the terms "identify" and "identifying"
>>        refer to this purpose of distinguishing one resource from all
>>        other resources, regardless of how that purpose is accomplished
>>        (e.g., by name, address, or context).  These terms should not be
>>        mistaken as an assumption that an identifier defines or embodies
>>        the identity of what is referenced, though that may be the case
>>        for some identifiers.  Nor should it be assumed that a system
>>        using URIs will access the resource identified: in many cases,
>>        URIs are used to denote resources without any intention that they
>>        be accessed.
>> """
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>
>
>
>
Patrick / Dave,

I am hoping as the responses come in we might pick up something. There 
is certainly some confusion out there.

Note my comments yesterday re. URIs and Referents. I believe this 
association to be 1:1, but others may not necessarily see it so.

-- 

Regards,

Kingsley Idehen 
President&  CEO
OpenLink Software
Web: http://www.openlinksw.com
Weblog: http://www.openlinksw.com/blog/~kidehen
Twitter/Identi.ca: kidehen