Date:         Mon, 2 Feb 2004 17:26:38 -0500
Reply-To:     "Z39.50 Next-Generation Initiative" <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       "Z39.50 Next-Generation Initiative" <[log in to unmask]>
From:         "LeVan,Ralph" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Re: Dumb Clients are Pretty Dumb!
Comments: To: "Z39.50 Next-Generation Initiative" <[log in to unmask]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Taylor [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 5:10 PM
>
> ... or you could write a non-dumb client?

A valid point.  I got a number of reasons to do it anyway.

1) Pointing a dumb browser at an SRU server and have an interface appear is
a pretty cool demonstration of the fact that Explain works.  But, it has to
do more than just sortof work.  If it doesn't have pretty reasonable
functionality then outsiders will be uncertain as to the fullness of the
Explain solution and we might as well have not gone through the exercise.

2) I prefer not to deploy software.  If a dynamically loaded stylesheet on
my server can cause an interface to appear in a browser, then that's good.

3) Sometimes you don't have access to a specialized client.

4) It's a pretty cool demonstration!

Ralph