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I’ve banned query strings

chrismorgan.info

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Re: I’ve banned query strings

#3
"wander console" sounds like they're just web rings re-invented. In the era of forced feeds by giant corporations which consist of the things they want you to see, I've wondered if this old idea would make a comeback. Human curated content from trusted people seems like the only way forward.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#4
> After I implemented that feature, a page from one of my favourite websites refused to load in the console... the third URL returns an HTTP 404 error page. The website uses the query string to determine which one of its several font collections to show.

Yes, let's unilaterally decide that query strings are bad because one website (ab)uses query strings to load different fonts.

It's the query strings that are the problem, not the website!

jfc.

Look, I'm against utm fragments as much as the next guy, but let's not throw away a perfectly good thing because tracking is evil.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#5
Adding query strings is one of those things that I think a lot of sites could get away with more easily if they were reasonable about it.

A link that is "https:// web.site" is fine.

A link that is "https:// web.site?via=another.site" is fine.

A link that is "https:// web.site?fbm=avddjur5rdcbbdehy63edjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63edaaaddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednzzddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63ednddjur5rdcbbdehy63edn"

is annoying as shit and I need to literally apologize to people after sending it if I forget to manually redact the query string. Don't abuse this.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#6

> After I implemented that feature, a page from one of my favourite websites refused to load in the console... the third URL returns an HTTP 404 error page. The website uses the query string to determine which one of its several font collections to show. Yes, let's unilaterally decide that query strings are bad because one website (ab)uses query strings to load different fonts. It's the query strings that are the pro…

Adding your own garbage to someone else's URLs is in fact the problem. Could they handle your garbage better? Sure. Is your garbage still a problem? Yes.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#7

> After I implemented that feature, a page from one of my favourite websites refused to load in the console... the third URL returns an HTTP 404 error page. The website uses the query string to determine which one of its several font collections to show. Yes, let's unilaterally decide that query strings are bad because one website (ab)uses query strings to load different fonts. It's the query strings that are the pro…

Adding your own garbage to someone else's URLs is in fact the problem. Could they handle your garbage better? Sure. Is your garbage still a problem? Yes.

Postel's law worked OK when people operated in good faith. But today the internet is full of abusers. Rejecting requests that aren't exactly what they should be is probably the best policy now.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#8

> After I implemented that feature, a page from one of my favourite websites refused to load in the console... the third URL returns an HTTP 404 error page. The website uses the query string to determine which one of its several font collections to show. Yes, let's unilaterally decide that query strings are bad because one website (ab)uses query strings to load different fonts. It's the query strings that are the pro…

The website uses the feature for its intended purpose. Adding random trash to the query string of another website assuming it'll ignore it is in fact a bad idea, always, even if you can usually get away with it.

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#9
>So I’ve decided to try a blanket ban for this site: no unauthorised query strings.

His site returns (I think incorrectly) a 414 if a request includes a query string. If this protest is meant to advocate for the user, who presumably wasn't able to manage that string in the first place, why would you penalize them for it being there?

Why not just use it as a cue to tell users how they can make this decision themselves (e.g. through browser tools)?

Re: I’ve banned query strings

#10
post #3

"wander console" sounds like they're just web rings re-invented. In the era of forced feeds by giant corporations which consist of the things they want you to see, I've wondered if this old idea would make a comeback. Human curated content from trusted people seems like the only way forward.

FTA: It is also a bit like web rings except that the community network is not restricted to being a cycle; it is a graph and it is flexible.
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