Re: Requirements for reliable message delivery

> However, we can't ignore HTTP in
> the near term and adding reliability to it with relatively few changes
> would be a pragmatic solution -

I disagree that it is pragmatic.  In practice HTTP implementations often
do not follow finer points of the current specifications, much less any
extensions necessary for reliable messaging.  Users will have a difficult 
time distinguishing garden-variety HTTP from the versions of HTTP that 
support messaging.  And firewalls are even worse than clients and servers
about following the specifications, and they are harder to replace.

In practice, HTTP is optimized for casual web browsing.  Trying to get
it to do something else is an exercise in futility.

I don't disagree with the idea that a reliable messaging protocol and
infrastructure would be useful, just that layering it on top of HTTP
is a good first step.

Keith

Received on Tuesday, 4 December 2001 11:32:46 UTC