Subject: [hybi] Communications usage for the Web Socket Protocol

From: Henry Sinnreich <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 25 May 2010 09:46:53 -0500

The Web Socket Protocol is far more general and useful than modestly
described in the latest I-D version

http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-socket-protocol/

The sections 1. Introduction and 1.1. Background could also mention some of
these facts:

Many new network application protocols were standardized in the IETF staring
in the mid Œ90s.
The concept then was new applications require new network protocols.
Examples include: The SIP/SDP family of protocols, RTSP, XMPP, MEGACO, MSRP,
etc. for communications and media control applications, not to mention other
non-IETF network application protocols such as H.323 or IAX.

The web development 15 years later has shown however that HTTP can support
literally countless Internet applications.
Actually any application that requires only a data communication channel
between the UA and the Web feature server.
This certainly includes IM as in the section 1.1. Background, but also web
conferencing, blogs, wikis, social networks, etc.

The data communications for SIP signaling over symmetric HTTP are described
in 
³SIP APIs for Communications on the Web²
http://www.ietf.org/id/draft-sinnreich-sip-web-apis-00.txt

What do you think?

Thanks, Henry