Re: Quality problems - AGREE!

Matt Timmermans/MSL <Matt_Timmermans@msl.isis.org>
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Date: Fri, 15 Apr 1994 16:19:58 --100
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From: Matt Timmermans/MSL <Matt_Timmermans@msl.isis.org>
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Subject: Re: Quality problems - AGREE!
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Another suggestion for keeping links in the Web up to date:  How about a 
cooperative system?

The document at the end of any URL could optionally supply a pointer to a 
notification server.

When someone creates a link to the document, he could mail the server a 
notification request in a form similar to:

    !NOTIFICATION REQUEST:  URL-UPDATE    <URL>       <address>
                                ^           ^             ^
                              Request    Current     Who to Notify
                               Type        URL      when it changes

It is assumed that whoever maintains the document can update the notification 
server.  When a document moves, the notification server mails all the addresses 
who want URL-UPDATE notifications a message like:

    !NOTIFICATION:  URL-UPDATE   <URL>          <URL>
                                   ^              ^
                              Previous URL     New URL

Upon receiving notification, the receiver updates all of his documents to 
reflect the change.

The advantage of such a system is that nobody has to waste time and bandwidth 
testing all of their links, most of which would be just fine.  Also, nobody is 
_required_ to implement anything, and nobody gets sent anything they don't ask 
for.

As the number of notification servers and receivers increases, Web documents 
would become silently, transparently, more reliable.

</Matt>


Matt Timmermans               | Phone:  +1 613 727-5696
Microstar Software Ltd.       | Fax:    +1 613 727-9491
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Nepean Ontario CANADA K2E-7J6 | E-mail: mtimmerm@msl.isis.org