[apps-discuss] Comments on draft-tschofenig-hourglass-00

[SM <[e-mail]>]

Hi Hannes,

[Cc to apps-discuss as it seems like an Area subject]

I read draft-tschofenig-hourglass-00.  I found it interesting.  In Section 7:

   "The author is, however, struggling with the question whether there is
    enough evidence to conclude that every protocol design today shall
    build on HTTP/HTTPS (rather than voluntarily using to use HTTP/HTTPS
    because of its properties)."

I wondered how many IETF specifications are voluntarily being built 
over HTTP/HTTPS.  During the HYBI discussions there was the usual 
debate about whether to leapfrog over HTTP.  MILE used HTTPS on a 
different port (needs a fact check).  WEIRDS seems to be following 
the HTTP path, do does REPUTE.  XMPP has a HTTP angle (Peter, please 
correct me).  RTCWEB followed the HTTP angle.

HTTP seems like the "de facto" standard.  That would be similar to 
IP.  You used the word "voluntarily".  Isn't it like low-hanging 
fruit?  The port is open.  There is a wide choice of freely available 
code.  There is experience in getting around middleboxes 
constraints.  The user already has the basic software.

Regards,
-sm