- From: Sandro Hawke <sandro@w3.org>
- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 16:27:23 -0500
- To: Michael Mealling <michael@neonym.net>
- cc: Miles Sabin <miles@milessabin.com>, www-tag@w3.org
> > On the one hand you're saying that a URI identifies a Resource across
> > contexts.
>
> No. I'm saying that URIs and Resource exist regardless of contexts.
You said "URIs identify Resources". I read that as claiming that
there exists a special IETF-sanctioned function which maps each URI
string to a "Resource", in the web-protocol world in general or at
least HTTP in particular. Are you claiming that?
Even the most narrow HTTP-only form of that claim appears false, since
TimBL and RoyF cowrote (with others) the relevant RFCs and yet don't
agree on httpRange-14! If they can't agree on the range of that
function, that must mean their conceptualizations of the supposed
function are quite different. If the writers of the standard can't
agree, I suggest that means the standard does not actually bear
meaningfully on the issue.
The whole notion of "Resources" is a red herring in Web Architecture.
It's vague enough that people can read into whatever they want, with
no real consequences for conflicting interpretations. I bet I can
rewrite any web architecture text to be clearer for any particular
technical/computing audience without using the word "resource". (But
the stakes will have to be high to be worth my while and pay off the
people I'm supposed to be working for. :-) And I restrict my bet to
English.)
-- sandro
Received on Tuesday, 21 January 2003 16:29:48 UTC