[Mailman-Users] [ANNOUNCE] Mailman 2.1 alpha 2

[Chuq Von Rospach]

On 7/13/01 1:43 PM, "Gerald Oskoboiny" <gerald at impressive.net> wrote:

> This violates the HTTP protocol: visiting a URL (i.e., an HTTP GET)
> should not have side effects like confirming a subscription.

My first reaction was "say what?" but I went and read the w3 stuff before
responding...

> I realize that a number of other sites misuse GET this way, but I
> think most of the large ones (e.g., Yahoo, online brokerages and
> banks, etc.) get it right, and I think Mailman should too.

Because, frankly, I think w3 is wrong IN THIS CASE. That may make sense in a
general case, especially on an HTTP only situation, but in this case, where
the URL is being carried in e-mail to confirm an action the user has
(presumably) started, I think they're wrong. As long as the e-mail clearly
delineates the action being taken, do what's easy for the user; and the user
isn't going to want to go clicking through multiple links just to allow us
to abide to the HTTP stuff.

But the key is this is a finalization of a distributed transaction, with
e-mail distributing the token. Under other circumstances, I see W3's logic.
Here, however, using a URL to bring up a page that says "click here to
confirm" is only going to piss off Joe User, not make his life better.

-- 
Chuq Von Rospach, Internet Gnome <http://www.chuqui.com>
[<chuqui at plaidworks.com> = <me at chuqui.com> = <chuq at apple.com>]
Yes, yes, I've finally finished my home page. Lucky you.

Some days you're the dog, some days you're the hydrant.