http 1.1. Cache Response Codes...
Michael Wexler (mwexler@nny.com)
Thu, 19 Mar 1998 22:34:56 GMT
Gentlemen:
As a web measurement analyst, one of my worst problems is dealing with
caching. Why do we use the code 200 for everything? Why not design the
spec in a graduated fashion:
If browser has url in its local cache, it still sends a get request to the
server, but an option says "I already have it, just letting you log the
request". The success code is a 209, "user has non-expired data in cache".
If a non local cache has the data, same system. The option can be
different, and we can even use a different code (210), but for the most
part, we should just let the 209 mean "cached request".
This solves many problems:
1) path analysis of a user's visit
2) advertising requests (not perfectly, given the IAB's recent standards,
but better than nothing for smaller sites)
3) pages per visit calculations are accurate
4) this is a minor increase in bandwidth compared to not sending the
request at all, and is far superior to eliminating caching.
Thanks for your time,
Michael
___
Michael Wexler
Director -- Research and Measurement
mwexler@nny.com
Nicholson | NY
295 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
212.274.0470 x178
212.274.0380 fax
http://www.nny.com/