Re: CTG: clarifications needed / HTTP header fields, URI patterns

Hi Eduardo,

see below for the rationale for your second comment.

Francois.

Eduardo Casais wrote:
[...]
> B) DECISION TO ALTER REQUESTS
> 
> The same section states:
> 
> -------
> Note:
> 
> The heuristics discussed in 4.2.9 Proxy Decision to Transform relating to URI 
> patterns are not part of the decision to alter HTTP Header Field values.
> -------
> 
> What is the reasoning behind this prohibition? Deciding not to transform a request
> because a URI indicates a mobile site is quite a valid approach -- actually more
> efficient than first transforming the request and then figuring out whether the
> result was mobile or not in the first place.

The purpose of the note was to emphasize the opposite: the absence of a 
mobile indication in a URI pattern does not mean that HTTP header field 
values should be transformed. This resolved ISSUE-284 [1] triggered by 
Verizon claiming it followed the guidelines by respecting a few URI 
patterns that were listed as heuristics and sending a modified 
User-Agent string in any other case.

The note does say "do not base the decision to alter HTTP Header Field 
values on URI patterns". This is good, IMO. In particular, it does not 
say "do not base the decision to keep HTTP Header Field values intact on 
URI patterns". Can you think of a better wording?

[1]  http://www.w3.org/2005/MWI/BPWG/Group/track/issues/284

Francois.

Received on Monday, 22 June 2009 13:15:35 UTC