Re: Explaining the benefits of http-range14 (was Re: [HTTP-range-14] Hyperthing: Semantic Web URI Validator (303, 301, 302, 307 and hash URIs) )

Jonathan, hello.

On 2011 Oct 21, at 14:46, Jonathan Rees wrote:

> A direct URI always names an IR (in fact a particular one: the one at
> that URI), but an indirect one can name either an NIR or an IR (as in
> the http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/2011/09/referential-use.html, and as
> deployed at http://dx.doi.org/ ). HR14a says (in effect) all
> retrieval-enabled hashless URIs are direct, but other rules (like Ian
> Davis's) might say other things; the terms are useful independent of
> the architecture.
> 
> There might be situations in which 'NIR' is a useful category, but I
> don't know of any.

I can see that distinction, and the value in it.  I still think that 'NIR' is a useful category -- in a way it's the simpler category of the two: you cannot download a NIR, no matter how many indirections you follow, whereas if you start following indirect links, you might end up at a direct link.  Or: an NIR is one of the 'things' that's being talked about in the 'internet of things'.

> If you say things like "303 implies NIR" (which is
> not justified by httpRange-14 or anything else),

I don't think anyone's so confused as to say "303 implies NIR".  A lot of things would probably be simpler, though, if there were a 20x or 30x status code which did mean "this names an NIR, and the content is just commentary on, or depictions of, that thing" (that's not a suggestion, by the way!)

All the best,

Norman


-- 
Norman Gray  :  http://nxg.me.uk
SUPA School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, UK

Received on Friday, 21 October 2011 15:01:16 UTC