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Re: What is "the Web"

• To: clbullar@i... ("Bullard, Claude L (Len)")
• Subject: Re: What is "the Web"
• From: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
• Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 12:19:54 -0400 (EDT)
• Cc: distobj@a... ('Mark Baker'), xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: <2C61CCE8A870D211A523080009B94E430752B368@HQ5> from "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" at Apr 26, 2002 10:53:09 AM

"Bullard, Claude L (Len)" scripsit:
> 
> As long as a representation is returned, you are right.  
> A representation of a physical singularity might be any 
> of the things you cite; ie, documents.
> 
> A definition of identity where the words "all", "any", 
> etc. are used will collapse into a singularity. 
> At that point, we lose access to details.   If however, 
> the Web is defined as an abstract "system", it is 
> likely to be defined as a set of components 
> any of which is boundable, but which when 
> combined, the notion of boundary is described 
> in terms of that assembly (the system, not 
> the information it can represent).   These boundaries 
> are useful because the thing named is the 
> assembly, and the capabilities of that assembly 
> can be specified and named.  Then and only 
> then does the concept of identity as bound 
> to location become useful because that property 
> limits the choice of choices.  Basic Shannon.
> 
> We can cite abstract definitions of information space, 
> and even very large information space(s), but 
> the web is a system that enables us to identify 
> (and I use the verb deliberately) and access 
> representations of information items in the 
> space.  That the space is abstract is fine. 
> It needs to be.   One who cannot program to 
> abstractions should not use XML on the Web. 
> But ultimately the architecture of the Web system 
> is concerned with the specifications of the 
> components and the ways in which these can 
> be combined to meet a given requirement in 
> the context of a network:  The Internet. 
> 
> The Web is an abstraction.  The Internet 
> components are not.  Information space 
> is an abstraction; representations or 
> resources are not.  We do not simply 
> enumerate components; we define a context 
> of use in accordance with the requirements.
> 
> We can usefully say that SOAP/RPC is a Web 
> system and that information it accesses is on 
> the Web where it uses these Internet components 
> in accordance with these requirements (which 
> Fielding, et al have brilliantly enumerated). 
> We cannot be as picky about how extensively 
> that is applied: that is, if a URI identifies 
> a WSDL, that is on the web.  Anything that is 
> returns as a representation is on the web. If 
> the implementor chooses to hide information
> behind that, it is not on the web and that 
> is a strictly local and private decision, and 
> not warrantied by the Web system definitions.  
> If they use a Web service that hides these, 
> then as TimBL and Paul have pointed out, the 
> user is not held accountable for side effects 
> if any.
> 
> Beating it out of them just makes the pig mad.
> 
> len
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Baker [mailto:distobj@a...]
> 
> On Fri, Apr 26, 2002 at 09:25:20AM -0500, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:
> > A black hole.
> 
> Could have lots of different representations;
> 
> - a picture (xray)
> - its location
> - its Schwarzschild radius
> 
> It obviously can't identify itself, but anybody can identify it for
> themselves.  For example;
> 
> http://lenbullard.com/xml-dev-black-hole/
> 
> A GET could return any of the above.
> 
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-- 
John Cowan <jcowan@r...>     http://www.reutershealth.com
I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen,    http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith.  --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_

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  • RE: What is "the Web"
    • From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>

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