Re: hash in WebID - cachability problem

Henry Story wrote:
> People who do real implementations of Linked Data in javascript 
> on the browser are telling us this is problematic for them: speed
> matters in user interface, and the 303 is creating real usability
> issues.

To keep this simple:

303 responses by RFC 2616 are not cache'd
httpbis doesn't speak of caching in regard to 303 any more

Pretty much all HTTP tooling everywhere for the last decade has used 
2616 and will continue to for quite some time, 303's you may as well 
assume are not cache'd by clients (*clients = HTTP CLIENTS*).

The web of linked data utilizes 303 redirects frequently, they are an 
every day part of what we do and encounter, any tooling which doesn't 
cater for them is missing half of the data out there.

Every HTTP URI, with or without a fragment, can send back any status 
code, including 303, and could easily result in a huge chain of redirects.

That is to say, WebID cannot preclude 303 responses, it's none of it's 
concern. WebID is layered on to HTTP, and the dereferencing process 
never has a fragment in it, so you're never dealing with a fragment at 
HTTP level.

#frag URIs are great in linked data, very efficient and they keep things 
clean and simple. Slash-303 URIs exist and can be (and are) used. WebID 
Protocol requires no extra steps to enable their usage, in-fact it 
requires many many extra steps to try and preclude them.

Ultimately we either say that a webid is an HTTP URI, or an HTTP URI 
with a Fragment - the latter restriction is virtually impossible to 
impose, but very easy to promote as a KISS approach to WebID w/ Linked Data.

Received on Friday, 7 December 2012 13:04:15 UTC