Re: Bookmark 'stability'

Eric J. Bowman wrote:
> Paul Cohen wrote:
>> I mean that *forcing* a server to commit itself to maintaining URI:s
>> is coupling.
>>
> 
> Maintaining obsolete URIs is not an example of "coupling" as applies to
> REST.  REST isn't "decoupled" but rather, "loosely coupled" around
> standardized data types.  The more obscure the data type, the tighter
> the coupling.  The more ubiquitous the data type, the looser the
> coupling.  What's being discussed is the degree of coupling between
> client and server, not server and Web Developer.  It gets very confusing
> when participants in a discussion introduce their own definitions of
> terms.

An analogy may be your signs in the windows of your local shops, if one 
of them moves to a new premise, they could say nothing, or they could 
say "we've moved here" (30x). If they've got a new shop front on the 
other side, again they could post a sign to say "the doors now here". If 
they're closed they could say "closed" or "closed, were open again at 
09:00". Regardless of the situation, if the place is closed, or gone, 
then leaving a note to provide some information will always help the 
client, and can be seen as good practise. You don't have to do it, but 
it sure makes sense to do it. Network protocol are just the same.