Links are a Contract/API

#1

Post by hcatlin » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 8:45 PM UTC

Links are a Contract/API
blog.moovweb.com

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#2

Post by redcircle » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 9:34 PM UTC

Mobile browsers can help matters by letting you override the user agent (e.g., with a desktop user agent), to stop sites from redirecting you to their horrible mobile versions.

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#3

Post by kevinpet » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 10:19 PM UTC

Good XKCD on this topic. http://xkcd.com/869/

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#4

Post by cardiffspaceman » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 10:50 PM UTC

I wish the airline had been mentioned. I don't think leaving their name out will ensure that the site is improved.

Also it is ironic that we are discussing this on Hacker News.

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#5

Post by cardiffspaceman » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 10:53 PM UTC

I had occassion to visit the CBS network website to try to find out the topics of 60 minutes show. I got mobile jailed and they tried to have me download a mobile app. So I didn't watch 60 minutes

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#6

Post by kefs » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 11:17 PM UTC

So.. in case you haven't noticed..

This post is a clever little advertisement disguised as a blogpost/story. The submitter and author are the same person, selling services for moovweb, which solves the issue characterized in the advert.

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#7

Post by SeanDav » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 11:19 PM UTC

You can't claim that links are a contract. At best maintaining links is a courtesy and one you should not rely on.

Having said that I can see why this is annoying and a clear thinking business should allow manual override.

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#8

Post by kefs » Wed, Aug 08, 2012, 11:36 PM UTC

cardiffspaceman wrote: post #4

I wish the airline had been mentioned. I don't think leaving their name out will ensure that the site is improved. Also it is ironic that we are discussing this on Hacker News.

   Unknown or expired link.

Re: Links are a Contract/API

#9

Post by lukifer » Thu, Aug 09, 2012, 4:57 AM UTC

SeanDav wrote: post #7

You can't claim that links are a contract. At best maintaining links is a courtesy and one you should not rely on. Having said that I can see why this is annoying and a clear thinking business should allow manual override.

The word "contract" is just a metaphor. Your customer is going to treat a broken link as a broken promise, whether or not you actually made one.