Re: comments on draft-barth-mime-sniffing

On Tue, 16 Jun 2009, David Singer wrote:
> > 
> > I've updated HTML5 to require that Content-Types of types that are not 
> > supported cause the resource to be ignored (even if it would otherwise 
> > be supported).
> 
> We're concerned about this, though we support the hope that we can get 
> away from doing content-type sniffing in this area.
> 
> 1) if you use a multimedia framework that you don't control, and it does 
> content-type sniffing, then you get it whether you want it or not.  
> QuickTime does, so Safari does, right now.

There are many requirements in the spec that require that libraries do 
particular things. If the library you use doesn't do the right thing, you 
will either need to fix it or reimplement it. (This is why some browsers, 
for instance, don't use their system HTTP stack -- it's often the case 
that the system's HTTP stack isn't standards-compliant enough.)


> 2) End-users posting AV content rarely have access to the MIME type 
> config. of their server (often, their ISP's server).  Getting the MIME 
> type table updated can take ages.

Indeed.


> 3) Once one browser gets a competitive 'edge' by sniffing, the rest 
> usually follow.  It's hard to see why this would not happen in this 
> case.

Once it does, I guess we'll define how the sniffing must occur.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Received on Tuesday, 30 June 2009 11:17:59 UTC