Re: Claification requested in Host:

Roy T. Fielding (fielding@kiwi.ICS.UCI.EDU)
Wed, 19 Feb 1997 15:16:31 -0800 

In message <199702192250.AA00892@ash.isi.edu>, touch@isi.edu writes:
>Local ones are "nicknames", and are allowed
>but discouraged, except for transition names.
>(bottom page 3).
>
>The host requirements (1123) clearly states that:
>
>            (b)  Abbreviation expansion MUST be done exactly once, and
>                 MUST be done in the context in which the name was
>                 entered.
>
>
>            DISCUSSION:
>                 For example, if an abbreviation is used in a mail
>                 program for a destination, the abbreviation should be
>                 expanded into a full domain name and stored in the
>                 queued message with an indication that it is already
>                 complete.  Otherwise, the abbreviation might be
>                 expanded with a mail system search list, not the
>                 user's, or a name could grow due to repeated
>                 canonicalizations attempts interacting with wildcards.
>
>www, in the above context, is clearly an abbreviation 
>which must be expanded in the context of which the name was 
>entered.
>
>	browser-entered URLs *MUST* expand foo at the client,
>	regardless of whether a proxy is used
>
>	URLs inside documents *MUST* be expanded at the client
>	as well.
>
>There you have it.

Yep, which is why I said we don't need to specify it in HTTP. All of
the above is referenced as the definition of a legal Internet host,
and therefore all of the concerns you expressed are already covered
by RFC 2068 via these references.  I don't see why the HTTP spec should
create additional requirements to address those concerns.

.....Roy