RE: The tail shouldn't wag the dog

> From: xml-uri-request@w3.org [mailto:xml-uri-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of
> Paul W. Abrahams
> Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2000 4:10 AM
> To: xml-uri@w3.org
> Subject: The tail shouldn't wag the dog
> [...]
> But to have relative URI references -- an uncommon though
> not nonexistent case -- drive the entire namespace mechanism
> seems to me to be a great mistake, a case of the tail
> wagging the dog.  I think it's important to get the common
> case right first -- and although views may vary as to what
> "right" is, I think that's the literal interpretation as it
> is in the current version of the namespace spec.

It is, after tons of messages, still the only one which is
understood by everyone (at least that's my impression). This 
is a strong indicator of "right" to me.

> Once we've fixed our interpretation of the common case, we
> can then set it aside while dealing with the uncommon case.
> Personally, I like James Clark's suggestion of using a
> standardized base for relative URIs.
>
> Paul Abrahams
>