RE: HTTP Server's jobs for CGI applications

> In an e-business app, you're dealing with CGI apps anyways, aren't
> you?  Generating common menus or navigation bars in your CGI app
> can't be much of an overhead compared to other stuff in your app,
> eh?

It takes zero server to output menus with Javascript.  It takes server and
CPU for menus generated with CGI.  Also, it takes more devo time.

> 
> Check out this plain drab web site: <http://www.amazon.com/>.  I
> hear they get a bit of business.  And guess what?  They don't use
> JavaScript!

But they do use cookies.  And they have no doubt a few million
servers..haha..  so processing power is not a problem for them.  Others
don't have that convenience.

Remember, Amazon makes no money simply because they put it all back into the
business.


> Regarding cookies, there are very clear and easy
> alternatives.  Perhaps cookies makes CGI programming in
> languages like C and RPG easier, but alternatives such as
> "URL Munging" are dirt easy using advanced server tools,
> such as Java Servlets or JSP's.

Cookies make CGI programming in any language easier once you know how to
write and read them.  URL Munging like amazon's page is just as easy in any
CGI language as it is with JSPs or Java Servelets.  But, it also makes it
easier to get around for the average hacker who doesn't know how to
manipulate cookie contents.  Saving a page and chaning the URLs is easy to
do.

Brad
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