Re: [httpRange-14] What is an Information Resource?

Pat Hayes wrote:

>> Can we please have some clarification here?
> 
> Im as confused as you are. It seems to me that the whole story about 
> 'information resources' is muddled. I don't know what an "essential 
> characteristic" is. I was just responding to the ideas as best I can.
> 
> I would prefer to simply say that some HTTP endpoints are considered to 
> be resources, while others are not.

I guess you mean "information resources" here; all things are resources, 
still (in RDF/OWL speak)?

> The first kind should emit 200 responses, the second kind should not. 
 > Never mind trying to characterize
> in some metaphysical sense exactly what makes something be one of the 
> first kind or not: we will never get this perfectly straight, so why 
> bother trying. We can give some canonical examples, to wit, web pages; 
> but we have to recognize that there can be others, and the category has 
> to be open-ended as technology keeps changing it. However, its easier to 
> find examples of the second kind, viz. any 'resource' which cannot 
> possibly be an HTTP endpoint. 
[...]

Erm, eh, huh, etc? do you mean "possibly be an HTTP endpoint of the 
non-information-resource type"? Or I'm as confused as you are :)

you seem to be using "endpoint" in two ways here. Initially as something 
like "http name", ie. used for all things that are named with "http://". 
Then at the end you talk about http-namable things that can't be 
endpoints. This is the usage I prefer btw; since endpoint sounds like a 
bit of technical network-engineer plumbing.

Aside: what do we make of data: URIs? On the TAG webarch definition, 
they seem canonical examples of information resources; but they lack 
many of the other characteristics of HTTP-based information resources, 
ie. they are endpoint-free, don't have conneg, etc.

cheers,

Dan

Received on Tuesday, 18 December 2007 10:13:11 UTC