Subject: whither HTTP?

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 15:54:29 -0700

[This query received zip response on [email-masked], so I'll try here]

I recall that at one time there were various thoughts on the table about where 
to take HTTP next (e.g. "HTTP next generation") -- i.e. there were various 
BOFs held, I-Ds written, and so on.

Larry Masinter noted simply in his "HyperText Transfer Protocol (http) to 
conclude" msg to [email-masked] that..

> As far as I know, this mailing list will remain open indefinitely for
> discussions and clarifications of the HTTP specifications. [..snip..]
> In addition, there have been several BOFs for HTTP related activities.

The HTTP-NG work of a couple'o three years ago apparently disappeared for 
various reasons (see:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/ietf-http-ng/1999Oct/0005.html) 

Are there any nascent post-HTTP-1.1 efforts *presently* lurking about that 
anyone cares to mention? Does anyone have a convenient

I'm not necessarily advocating that there should be, I'm simply trying to see 
if the HTTP cognoscenti will share what's on their minds, going forward 
protocol-wise.

thanks,

JeffH

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From: "Simon St.Laurent" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 20:09:17 -0400

>anyone cares to mention? Does anyone have a convenient

I know some folks are talking about blocks, though that could replace a lot
more than HTTP:
http://www.bxxp.org

Simon St.Laurent
XML Elements of Style / XML: A Primer, 2nd Ed.
XHTML: Migrating Toward XML
http://www.simonstl.com - XML essays and books

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From: "Marshall Rose" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 18:16:16 -0700

> I know some folks are talking about blocks, though that could replace a
lot

i don't think so. i think that http is as entrenched as ip & tcp, and is
nearly as irreplacable.

the problem, i think, a general lack of clarity as to what http is for.

i'd say that beep is a generic application protocol framework for
connection-oriented, asynchronous interactions.

while http is many things to many people, i don't think anyone would
s/http/beep/ in the previous sentence.

/mtr

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From: "Simon St.Laurent" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 21:28:30 -0400

>s/http/beep/ in the previous sentence.

I'm hearing from developers who are looking for alternative to HTTP as a
substrate for protocols, and from others who find HTTP too constraining
even for the uses it has claimed to serve.  Both groups seem to like blocks
when I point them that direction, though I haven't heard of actual
implementation.

Be ambitious - it can be fun sometimes.  I agree that HTTP is entrenched,
but I hardly consider it irreplaceable.  Maybe I've just had too much fun
watching the launch of XML, but I think there's lots of room out there for
significant change.  Maybe not into the Web browser tomorrow, but blocks is
definitely promising for a wide variety of possibilities.

Simon St.Laurent