Re: Globalizing URIs

On Fri, 11 Aug 1995, Roy Fielding wrote:
> I'd just like to point out that most of this discussion is ignoring
> the fact that the transcribability of URLs is one of the main reasons
> the WWW has been successful in building an information base.
>
>     http://www.w3.org/People/Fielding
> 
>     ismn:893505109550819789356548054910

If that number included check digits and/or error correcting digits then
the latter might actually aid transcribability (so would splitting it up
into smaller sections with punctuation characters such as
ismn:8935.0510.9550.8197.8935.6548.0549.10).

If I had one pound for every mis-printed URL I've come across or person
coming to ask me how to access a mis-transcribed URL, I'd be a rich man by
now.  I don't think that current URLs are perfect when it comes to
transcribability, do you? 

> OTOH, anyone who thinks people will stop using URLs just because a URN
> exists has failed to study the users of this technology.

I don't think that anyone in their right mind expects URL usage to cease
when URNs are finally standardised and widely deployed.  URLs are here to
stay, period.  Personally I would only really expect URNs to be used for
resources that are likely to have a long ``shelf-life''.

Jon

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jon Knight, Researcher, Sysop and General Dogsbody, Department of Computer
Studies, Loughborough University of Technology, Leics., ENGLAND.  LE11 3TU.
*** Nothing looks so like a man of sense as a fool who holds his tongue ***

Received on Saturday, 12 August 1995 16:28:40 UTC