dns media type registration tree

[Mark Nottingham]

Hi Ned,

> I've been following this discussion for a while now, and while it 
> pains me to
> object to something that would lessen my own workload, I find that I 
> have to
> agree with Keith about this. The stability problems associated with 
> DNS names
> are just too great.
[...]
> Given the huge amount of damage that's been inflicted on the
> world by badly designed media types, I am forced to see further 
> reduction
> of the barriers as a reckless step in the wrong direction.

I agree these are the biggest -- and serious -- concerns with the 
proposal. However, the status quo doesn't seem to be working too well; 
rather than discouraging frivolous or poorly-considered media types, it 
encourages people into the "x-" space. This is borne out when you 
examine mime.types files and Web browser configurations; deployed 
software and formats are ignoring the process quite freely.

The other effect is that it encourages people to avoid media types 
altogether, so that formats don't have well-known identifiers, or if 
they do, ones that aren't usable in current systems like MIME or the 
Web (QNames in WSDL come to mind especially).

A DNS-based type does indeed have a chance of the authority changing, 
but I believe this possibility is preferable to the lack of a usable 
identifier.

So, I'd put forth that the current system doesn't discourage badly 
designed media types (or formats); every incentive is for people to use 
the "x-" space, though it is officially discouraged, leading to 
confusion. It does discourage well-designed media types and formats 
from actually being registered, which hurts software and systems that 
leverage them.

If there's another solution to this, I'm all ears.

Cheers,

--
Mark Nottingham     http://www.mnot.net/