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RE: What is "the Web"

• To: 'Mark Baker' <distobj@a...>
• Subject: RE: What is "the Web"
• From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>
• Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 12:59:27 -0500
• Cc: xml-dev@l...

(snipping the CC list for mercy's sake)

The problem with this question is in agreeing on a  
representation for any thing in the set of all things. 

We can devise representations of a black hole, 
the singularity, but that is as far as one can go 
because the physical entity never returns an event passed to it that 
enables one to verify that representation.  That is 
the limit of representative state.  We know where it is, 
and we know some properties of the space around it, and 
it radiates, but internally, we have to guess.  We 
can only address the location; that is why it is a singularity. 
The only use we can logically make of the information 
we have is to avoid it (transbounded state engines aside: 
I'm not folding information space today without a lot 
more coffee).

It is an absurd case but we are talking about system 
boundaries.  In many of the papers from the sources 
you cite, the word "useful" appears.  A "useful representation" 
is what is wanted.  One could say without error, I believe, 
the Web system provides a means to identify and access 
useful representations.  Past that, we are back to abstractions.

We can go far too deep into epistemology with this thread. 
All we have to do is agree that identifiable representations 
bound the things that are on the web (identifiable because 
of the serial issue Jonathan points out:  by definition, 
state is a set even if it has a single member).  Then it is an issue 
of implementations of means.   WSDL is on the Web.  That 
makes SOAP a web technology.   It is possible and I think 
useful to bound that that way and to warranty the transaction 
only to the endpoint.  Again, what they choose to hide behind 
that endpoint is their responsibility and the due dilligence 
of the user/customer.  This is why other circles have 
CONOPS as part of the contract of use.

len

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Baker [mailto:distobj@a...]

On Fri, Apr 26, 2002 at 12:37:24PM -0500, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:
> All things representable can be on the web.  That is key 
> and bounds the set.

Agreed.  But do you not agree that all things that are identifiable are
representable?

TimBL and DanC use the phrase "Identity, State, and GET";

 http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/Axioms.html#state
 http://www.w3.org/Talks/2002/02/27-wa/slide9-0.html

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