RE: HTTP Server's jobs for CGI applications

["Nathan M. Andelin" <nathanma@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm grateful to Hans, Brad, Leslie, and others who have contributed to this
thread's debate.  For me, at least, the issues discussed are timely.  I was
just starting to encapsulate some code to make it easier to write HTTP
Response-Headers (such as Cookies).  I had been planning on using Cookies in
my next web application to help track session variables.  Now, I'm not so
sure.

If you are creating a public site, you need to consider the site's
accessibility to a broad range of users - including those who disable
Cookies and JavaScript.

After reading the debate and following up on the links provided, I've
concluded that Han's viewpoint is not paranoia.  Its rational.  Not to the
point of motivating me to disable my browser support for Cookies and
JavaScript.  I'm willing to risk some invasion of personal privacy in
exchange for my use of the many popular sites that depend on Cookie and
JavaScript mechanisms.

But, for those of us who build web applications for public use, its not much
harder to store a "Session ID" in a hidden "Form"  variable, or append it to
the end of a URL as a "Query-String" variable.  Then retrieve it on the next
Post or Get operation.  I tend to use a Session ID to then retrieve session
related variables stored in a database.

This has been an interesting debate!



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