Re: [apps-discuss] Comments on draft-ietf-appsawg-about-uri-scheme

[Frank Ellermann <[e-mail]>]

2011/11/16 "Mykyta Yevstifeyev (М. Євстіфеєв)" wrote:

>>   'about' URIs are subject to encoding rules defined in RFC 3986
>>   [RFC3986].  'about' IRIs [RFC3987] are not permitted.

>> The last quoted sentence: why?
>> If an about URI is used to edit configuration, I can see some Unicode
>> being
>> passed in the query part of such URI.

> We have no evidence of use.  That is the reason.

Strong objection.  about: URIs are the territory of UA implementors.
They are free to do anything they like as long as it is compatible
with 3986/3987 and doesn't break <about:blank>.

For example they are free to create an equivalent of about:mozilla in
any language plus appropriate script.  They are also free to create
say about:punycode?äöü.de as a service (maybe a stupid plan, but
about: URIs and IRIs can be stupid.)

They are also free to use slashes in their about URIs, and I have no
evidence that this never happened anywhere.  With slashes you'd get
maybe "path-rootless" or similar, not only "segment-nz".

The purpose of the draft should be to get the about: URIs registered
without twisting them into something they are not.  And as user of UAs
with poor documentation which essential about: URIs exist in the UA,
e.g., about:support in newer Firefox versions, I'd really like a hint
that offering an about:about list will beat "Google it" as a manual.

-Frank