Re: [hybi] Is there a traffic jam?

[Jamie Lokier <[e-mail]>]

Ian Hickson wrote:
>  - A complex-looking protocol that will be implemented a few times only

==> HTML

>  - A simple-looking protocol that is actually rather complex that will be 
>    implemented many times but often incorrectly

==> HTTP

>  - A simple-looking protocol that is actually simple that will be 
>    implemented many times but mostly correctly

==> :-)

> But that's mostly academic -- according to your hypothesis, if the 
> protocol looks simple, whether it is or not, people will implement it.

I think that's correct.

> Since making the protocol complex arbitrarily is bad language design, that 
> just leaves us in the position of doing our best to make it as simple as 
> we possibly can.

I think WebSockets is in the unusual position that client browser
implementations won't be implemented often, but servers will be and so
will any Javascript layer that people need to put on top.

I guess that's why I push for more complexity in the client browser
implementation, in exchange for less complexity at the Javascript
level when you can't avoid putting it somewhere, for a broad class of
applications.

You can bet whatever people have to write in Javascript, will be
written many times over and badly.

-- Jamie