whenToUseGet-7 counter-proposal

It was noted in the minutes of the TAG conference call that
there was a log of discussion but no counter-proposals. So
here's one. I suggest that the appropriate W3C TAG policy should
focus on the value:

   Designs that use URIs as accessors for resources and
   URI references as accessors for resource components are
   better than those that don't.

and that the following guidelines could apply:

   HTTP GET should be "safe" (because there are systems
   and operations that rely on it being so)

   When designing an interface to a safe operation, there
   are significant advantages to using GET-able URLs
   (e.g., with query strings).

   There are some disadvantages to using GET with URLs
   in HTTP, e.g., when the addressing information is
   is large, difficult to encode, private or best
   kept secret.

   Whether or not GET with HTTP is used for the initial
   access, supplying a URI for subsequent access to the
   _same_ information, e.g., using Content-Location, is
   useful.

I'm not opposed to URLs or linking, just to a finding that
jumps from a value ("URL linking is good") to a policy
("safe actions should use GET") without sufficient consideration
of the drawbacks or of the alternatives that might
accomplish the same goal without them.

Larry
-- 
http://larry.masinter.net

Received on Tuesday, 23 April 2002 21:32:37 UTC