Re: [RFC] Information headers in HTTP

On Wednesday 20 June 2007 12:37, Rigo Wenning wrote:
> Hi Stefanos,
>
> additionally, I got the following information from Yves Lafon:
> > It's being discussed on ietf-http-wg. I'm not sure it brings
> > interesting stuff on the table, as a Date: header with the right
> > timezone could do most of what's needed.

Hi Rigo,

  First of all I'd like to clarify that the Timezone proposal and 
the 'Information Headers' are two distinct things. The information headers is 
a generalized idea that allows for on-demand information to be submitted by 
HTTP clients after having user approval, eliminating the requirement for a 
user to enter the same information on each visiting site.

  Now, to your question:
* HTTP (RFC2616) says that the 'Date' field contains the time in GMT. I 
believe that this cannot change without having HTTP/1.2.
* The timezone information is not as simple as an 'EET' string. Apart from the 
current time offset, the feedback I got from the PHP developers mailing list 
suggested that one needs to know both the current offset and the DST 
settings.

  DST is not a technical issue. It is affected by politicians. There are 
countries that experience no DST at all and countries that change their DST 
settings every year. I've written a more complete Timezone related draft that 
addresses all these but I've not submitted it yet. I'll do it today or 
tomorrow (its name will be draft-sharhalakis-httptz-03).

  I've contacted the p3p mailing list to ask for comments on the http 
information headers proposal (that was attached with the first email) and not 
for the HTTP Timezone draft (I'm saying this just to distinguish between 
those two proposals). Of course all comments/thoughts/suggestions are welcome 
and I *REALY* appreciate them! After all the original timezone proposal 
changed a lot after the comments I received (and that's why I've proposed the 
information headers) and I'm willing to change it even more or withdraw it if 
it does not become accepted as an idea.

  I'll soon answer to your other email too, after looking at P3P again.

Received on Wednesday, 20 June 2007 11:57:58 UTC