Re: URL Expansion proposal

> My proposal is to agree on expanding the first * (asterisk) in
> a URL to "http://www."; the second asterisk to ".com/"
> and any subsequent * to a slash. That way,
> a user typing *companyname* in a URL field would actually be
> sending the entire URL. 

I agree that the current standard is awkward, but not extravagantly so.  
I haven't met a single person unable to grasp the format of a URL within 
a few seconds.  And while your solution is certainly more simplistic, I 
don't think it's a proper way to 'correct' the 'problem' of the current URL.

a.)  First of all, by assuming the ".com/",  you alienate a small but 
significant number of Internet domains.  The amount of commercial domain 
names may far exceed other types, but other types are often as important.

Take, for example, educational institutions.  Wouldn't it be as 
desirable to type *NYU* as *IBM*?  But under your proposal, *NYU* would 
attempt to contact http://www.nyu.com.  You'd get an error.  Plus, there 
are many ".net" providers that play a significant role on the Web.

b.)  Don't always assume the Web machine is www.  Many simply exclude the 
www, or replace it with a another title, such as web.  Under your 
standard, you force a naming convention upon businesses.

In the end, I think revamping only _part_ of a standard (i.e., not 
including the telnet://, mailto:, news:, and so on) would only cause MORE 
confusion to the users you propose your standard would benefit.

Adam Donahue
  
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Adam Donahue					              Weinstein Center
 Distributed Computing &			    Appt. 703, 5-11 Univ. Pl.
  Information Services (ACF)			    New York, New York 10003
    mailto: adam.donahue@nyu.edu		 phone number: 212.443.6925

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Received on Saturday, 13 January 1996 21:56:06 UTC