- From: <noah_mendelsohn@us.ibm.com>
- Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2002 17:00:30 -0500
- To: Mark Baker <distobj@acm.org>
- Cc: www-tag@w3.org
Mark Baker writes: >> I would prefer it if the special role of HTTP was at least alluded to. This is a point which Mark and I have occasionally discussed in private. No doubt, HTTP plays a distinguished role in the Web today and for the forseeable future. Still (and I suspect Mark doesn't agree) I don't see why our architecture should imply that the web would diminished in quality if HTTP were eventually displaced by other protocols. Indeed, I see this possibility of evolution as important to allow for changing applications, new hardware/software, and to enable access to more diverse sorts of resources over time. If we didn't have universal naming, there would be no web; if the widely deployed protocols evolve over time, I think we're fine. Thus, and I know this is controversial, I prefer a formulation in which the foundational web architecture is just URI's, with no particular protocols or schemes distinguished or preferred. Whatever protocols we deploy at this or that point in time are to promote interoperability for access to (representations of or information from) resources. If the TAG wants to write a separate document on "Web architecture in 2002", I think http should indeed be identified there as playing a distinguished role. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Noah Mendelsohn Voice: 1-617-693-4036 IBM Corporation Fax: 1-617-693-8676 One Rogers Street Cambridge, MA 02142 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Mark Baker <distobj@acm.org> Sent by: www-tag-request@w3.org 03/18/2002 09:54 AM To: www-tag@w3.org cc: (bcc: Noah Mendelsohn/Cambridge/IBM) Subject: Re: section 1, intro, for review Point 2 makes HTTP sound like just another protocol. While I don't expect an intro section to get into the nitty gritty of the relationship between it and other protocols, I would prefer it if the special role of HTTP was at least alluded to. Also, on that same point, I'm not sure what the mention of MIME/packaging adds. Otherwise, very succinct. MB -- Mark Baker, Chief Science Officer, Planetfred, Inc. Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA. mbaker@planetfred.com http://www.markbaker.ca http://www.planetfred.com
Received on Monday, 18 March 2002 17:15:52 UTC