Re: what is this? was: Re: now://example.org/car

On Wed, 2002-10-09 at 06:51, Jonathan Borden wrote:
> 
> Chris Lilley wrote:
> > JB> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1772811392
> > JB> is this a web page or a car or an auction for a car?
> >
> > Its a web page (for one lot(a car) in an auction), clearly.
> >
> 
> Not so clearly! It could be any of the above depending on how the URI is
> used. I think it is only so clearly a web page for folks who spend 100% of
> their time thinking about web pages.
> 
> Imagine the following email:
> 
> [[
> Hey Bill,
> 
> I am thinking about bidding on
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1772811392
> 
> You know about cars, what is a fair price?
> ]]
> 
> Two people might effectively communicate without _directly_ speaking of web
> pages. What I am saying is that URIs are _words_ and words are used to mean
> what the people use them to mean.
> 
> The really cool thing about HTTP words is that you click on them to find out
> what they mean -- but still, they are interpreted in context just as other
> words do.
> 
> For example:
> 
> [[
> Hey Bill, do you like the layout of
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1772811392
> Should we change the fonts?
> ]]
> vs.
> [[
> Hey Bill, is http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1772811392
> your very favorite car?
> ]]
> 
> Same representation, but each use of the word has a different meaning --
> depending on context.

Yes, people are sloppy.

But are you suggesting that this sort of ambiguity is acceptable
in formal languages, such as technical specifications
of XML formats? I hope not.

-- 
Dan Connolly, W3C http://www.w3.org/People/Connolly/