Re: URIs quack like a duck

On Sun, Jun 04, 2000 at 12:39:00PM -0400, John Cowan wrote:
> Michael Mealling scripsit:
> > I.e. there are only Documents. Everything is a Document. And a
> > Document and a Resource are the same thing....
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > This is actually one of the clearer fundamental axioms of the web:
> > Everything is a document. It was even one of three things on the
> > slide at the newcomers orientation at the AC meeting...
> 
> Well, T. Berners-Lee, R. Fielding, and L. Masinter don't seem to agree
> with you:
> 
> # Not all resources are network "retrievable"; e.g., human beings,
> # corporations, and bound books in a library can also be considered resources.
> 
> So if everything is a Document, are you and I Documents too?
> (When you prick us, do we not bleed?)

Yep. I'm actually in the midst of registering a URN namespace that is
specifically for assigning names or individuals and organizations.
And, until we develop matter transporters, you and I are decidedly
not retrievable via the network. But I can assign myself a URI and
thus allow the web to talk about me.

So where do I and Tim disagree here?

-MM

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Mealling	|      Vote Libertarian!       | www.rwhois.net/michael
Sr. Research Engineer   |   www.ga.lp.org/gwinnett     | ICQ#:         14198821
Network Solutions	|          www.lp.org          |  michaelm@netsol.com

Received on Sunday, 4 June 2000 13:43:01 UTC