Re: Bookmark 'stability'

Nathan wrote:
> 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.

Point being, that it's nothing to do with coupling, it's just etiquette, 
common sense, and good practise.