Subject: <link rel="link" type=????/>

From: "Bob Wyman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 14:31:32 -0500

At PubSub, we allow users to subscribe to RSS/Atom entries that contain
user-specified URIs. (Using a query like: URI:nytimes.com) Users of this
feature have often asked us to augment the entries we publish by attaching
the URIs we discover to the entries. The idea has been to make it easier for
people to build applications that exploit these links and to avoid forcing
clients to parse the full source entries.

So, we've started adding these "links to URIs" to the entries we publish on
an experimental basis. In order to keep things as simple as possible, what
we've done is simply use the atom <link/> element. We're using rel="link" to
indicate that this is just a random link of unknown purpose or intent.
However, atom requires that a link element have a mime-type. Given that we
have no idea what the mime-type for the URI is, what mime-type should we
use?

Some examples of links that we've published in the last few minutes follow:

<link rel="link"
href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/1/hi/world/middle_eas
t/4286129.st"/>

<link rel="link"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/politics/22memo.html"/>

<link rel="link"
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43009-2005Feb22.html"/>

<link rel="link"
href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/books/22thompson.html"/>

<link rel="link" href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0588766/"/>

<link rel="link"
href="http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~78~2723673,00.html"/>

For an example feed that contains entries that link to the New York Times,
see:

http://atom.pubsub.com/32/6c/1bc36c085cdc9ecd23efa73a.xml

Is there a better "rel" value then "link"? What mime-type should we be
using? Is there a better way to accomplish what we're doing?

Your comments would be appreciated. If we've done something completely
insane here, please be gentle.

                        bob wyman

---

From: Sam Ruby <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 15:31:44 -0500

> have no idea what the mime-type for the URI is, what mime-type should we

It type attributes are optional in the current draft.

http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-atompub-format-05.txt

4.6.3  The "type" Attribute

    Link elements MAY have a type attribute, whose value MUST conform to
    the syntax of a MIME media type [RFC2045].

This was changed in Format-03 as a result of the following:

    http://www.intertwingly.net/wiki/pie/PaceLinkAttrDefaults

(Note: there is a typo in abstract, should be "make the TYPE attribute 
optional)

- Sam Ruby

---

From: Eric Scheid <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 07:34:40 +1100

On 23/2/05 6:31 AM, "Bob Wyman" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> have no idea what the mime-type for the URI is, what mime-type should we use?

@type is optional.

    Link elements MAY have a type attribute, whose value
    MUST conform to the syntax of a MIME  media type [RFC2045].

<http://atompub.org/2005/01/27/draft-ietf-atompub-format-05.html#rfc.section
.4.6.3>

e.

---

From: Martin Duerst <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 09:50:42 +0900

At 04:31 05/02/23, Bob Wyman wrote:
>the URIs we discover to the entries. The idea has been to make it easier 
>for people to build applications that exploit these links and to avoid 
>forcing clients to parse the full source entries.
>
>So, we$BCW(Be started adding these $BEM(Binks to URIs$BG(Bto the entries we publish 
>on an experimental basis. In order to keep things as simple as possible, 
>what we$BCW(Be done is simply use the atom <link/> element. We$BCS(Be using rel=$BGM(B 
>ink$BG(Bto indicate that this is just a random link of unknown purpose or 
>intent. However, atom requires that a link element have a mime-type. Given 
>that we have no idea what the mime-type for the URI is, what mime-type 
>should we use?

Are you talking about the type attribute (as Sam and others have
pointed out, that's no longer required) or the rel attribute.
The text seems to indicate the former, the examples the later.

Please clarify.

Regards,    Martin.

>Some examples of links that we$BCW(Be published in the last few minutes follow:
>
><link rel="link" 
>href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/click/rss/0.91/public/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/4286129.st"/>
><link rel="link" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/22/politics/22memo.html"/>
><link rel="link" 
>For an example feed that contains entries that link to the New York Times, see:
><http://atom.pubsub.com/32/6c/1bc36c085cdc9ecd23efa73a.xml>http://atom.pubsub.com/32/6c/1bc36c085cdc9ecd23efa73a.xml
>
>Is there a better $BES(Bel$BG(Bvalue then $BEM(Bink$BG (B What mime-type should we be 
>using? Is there a better way to accomplish what we$BCS(Be doing?
>
>Your comments would be appreciated. If we$BCW(Be done something completely

---

From: "Bob Wyman" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:40:57 -0500

> pointed out, that's no longer required) or the rel attribute.
	I was primarily concerned about the type attribute since I hadn't
realized it was now optional. Thanks to Sam, etc. for pointing out that it
is no longer required.

		bob wyman