Re: Public Identifiers

John Cowan (cowan@locke.ccil.org)
Wed, 23 Sep 1998 11:07:33 -0400

Chris Maden wrote:
> There is a need to refer to things
> that nobody has registered, yes. But you then say that Joe User
> shouldn't register Sears, but that's exactly what he did in your
> -//Sears//... example. If Sears has not created an FPI for their 1922
> catalog, then Joe User should say -//Joe User//NONSGML Sears Roebuck
> and Co. 1922 Catalog//EN.

I agree absolutely.

> This isn't true. The URN spec, as John quoted, specifically allows
> the case of URNs that are not resolvable to a concrete electronic
> resource. And since FPIs can be used as URNs,
> urn:fpi:-//Joe%20User//NONSGML%20Sears%20Roebuck%20and%20Co.%201922%20Catalog//EN
> is a perfectly legitimate URN that points to the lump of paper in my
> outhouse.

Right, though urn:x-joe-user:SearsCatalog1922 might be more perspicuous
as well as shorter.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)