Re: ISBNs quacking

On Mon, May 29, 2000 at 06:23:30PM -0400, Simon St.Laurent wrote:
> At 05:37 PM 5/29/00 -0400, Michael Mealling wrote:
> >Does urn:isbn:1-56592-487-9 name or locate?
> >
> >Before you answer that be aware that there is a standardized process for
> >taking that URN, looking it up in an authoritative database and getting
> >the exact location of an electronic copy of the resource it names.
> >Now, does it name or does it locate?
> 
> Er... is there in fact a standardized process?  I'd really like to know
> about it, especially if it works for ISBNs in general.

Yep. See RFC 2141 for the URN syntax spec. RFC 2168 for how to 
find the server that is authoritative for that URN namespace. And
then see RFC 2169 for a trivial (and in need of updating) way
to query for the various locations of the resource.

The problem is that while the proces is defined and set in general.
The organization that is authoritative for ISBNs hasn't registered
for the namespace or setup the resolvers yet. 

> Or is this just another scenario created for debate?

Both... ;-) And a little bit of advertising for the URN scheme to boot! ;-)

-MM

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Michael Mealling	|      Vote Libertarian!       | www.rwhois.net/michael
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Received on Monday, 29 May 2000 18:42:10 UTC