IPP Mail Archive: RE: IPP> Re: IPP Scheme

RE: IPP> Re: IPP Scheme

Bennett, Joel H (Joel.Bennett@usa.xerox.com)
Mon, 13 Jul 1998 08:49:53 PDT

>-----Original Message-----
>From: Keith Moore [mailto:moore@cs.utk.edu]
>
>> MIME type would seem to provide a most adequate filtering hook for =
IPP
>> and other protocols which also wish to ride on http. =20
>
>Filtering is not the issue with ipp: vs. http:. =20
>
>The problem with using http: for printers is that it hides the fact=20
>that the resource is a printer. Users then have to keep track of=20
>that information separately, while user agents (web clients etc.)=20
>are unable to take advantage of the fact that the resource is a=20
>printer to improve their user interfaces.

I'm outside your group, strictly speaking, but I was checking this out
because I will be involved in testing the software that XEROX may =
eventually
develop for IPP. I couldn't help but weigh in agreeing with Keith on =
this
one.

Even on existing web pages (never mind on my business cards) users DO =
see
URL's, and they (we) do make choices based on them. For instance, when =
I
point at a link that says "MORE HELP" and the status window of my =
browser
says mailto:support@company.com I don't click, because I do NOT want to
waste my time, I'm looking for "more help" not an unresponsive support =
team.
Likewise, I would want to see ipp://support.microsoft.com so that I =
would
know that there's no point in clicking unless I've got a complaint/help
document I want to send them! =20

Savvy users look for FTP:// instead of HTTP:// when they are trying to
upload/download files, because it's faster and easier than http:// (if =
only
because ftp:// calls my special ftp client, just the way you will =
eventually
want ipp:// to load your=20
ipp client?)

Web users are used to the idea that http:// is a "viewable" resource.
something they want to LOOK at. They don't want to do a search for =
"color
pictures" and get links to http:// sites which are actually printers =
where
they can "print color pictures."

In HIS hands,
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Joel =
H. Bennett
mailto:Joel@soon.com
http://JBennett.home.ml.org