Re: site-wide metadata discovery

> Sorry for thinking this through in the list.  Every time I hit send, another
> question comes to mind.  So here's the next one: Would a single "metadata
> index file" be the most useful implementation, or would it be better for
> multiple records, for each type of metadata/function?

I'd favor the single-index concept allowing multiple formats.  We're then only
asking the robots.txt people to grasp one small concept.  To ask them to get
into putting in entries for Foaf, RSD and the like raises issues with their
fears of the unknown.  We'd end up getting mired in arguments or educational
efforts trying to explain those other things.  This would slow, if not stop, the
near-term goal.

It's in these index files that we have a greater shot at what you're suggesting.
Yes, it's another layer, but if we get them to step up to this level then it's
not going to be unreasonable to imagine them doing more.

> It seems that if the pointer in robots.txt contains only the location of an
> index, then that index will in turn point to another file in many cases,
> meaning yet another fetch of data.  And I don't think it likely that you'd
> have (or want) a list of available feeds included with the location of (or
> contents of) the FOAF, all contained in the same file.

The idea of fetching multiple resources is not a problem in most cases.  Really,
the index here is going to focus on the immediate need of RSS feed lists.  If we
structure it to /allow/ for other extenstions (like how RSS-1.0 supports
modules) then we don't need to worry.  The data could well be integrated right
into this index or it could be out in other documents (perhaps even out on
different services)

-Bill Kearney


 

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