Re: Arch Doc: 26 September 2003 Editor's Draft

Roy T. Fielding wrote:

> I could live with
> 
>    The World Wide Web is a networked information space consisting
>    of resources that are interconnected via explicit links defined
>    by hypertext and metadata found in that space.

I'm missing the point.  When a representation contains a URI (perhaps 
taking the form of a reference, but that's orthogonal), and the URI is 
identifiable as such, then there is a link, de facto.  Whether the 
author's intention was to encode it as a link (e.g. <a href=) or as an 
RDF assertion or as a namespace name is less interesting; one reason why 
a system defined by representational state transfer is superior to one 
defined by yet another API.  To me, the phrase "and metadata" is 
entirely 100% opaque, whereas everyone knows what a hyperlink is.

Also, some grammar engineering is needed; do  you mean "...defined by 
hypertext, and metadata found in that space" or "...defined by hypertext 
(and metadata) found in that space"?  Oh hold on, it's worse, I just 
realized I may have parsed it wrong, are you saying that the explicit 
links are not defined by metadata?

Let me try:

   The World Wide Web is a network-spanning information space
   which  contains resources and interconnections (some encoded
   explicitly in hypertext style) between those resources.

> I am really, really, really trying hard to encompass both the
> browser technology and a theoretical ontology graph consisting
> solely of terms and definitions.

Closer?

-- 
Cheers, Tim Bray (http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/)

Received on Monday, 29 September 2003 20:26:00 UTC