A difference that makes no difference is no difference

[Russell Turpin]

>From the HTTP spec:
>>Naturally, it is not possible to ensure that the server does not generate 
>>side-effects as a result of performing a GET request; in fact, some 
>>dynamic resources consider that a feature. The important distinction here 
>>is that the user did not request the side-effects, so therefore cannot be 
>>held accountable for them.

Mark Baker incisively pens:
>It's not up to developers to assign accountability.  That's something for 
>the law to determine.

Which means, logically, that this section of the HTTP spec
has meaning only as a constraint on the legislature. Now
I understand why people think the Web will have
revolutionary impact on national governments!

Speaking only as a lowly engineer, I think that fragment of
spec above is nonsense on stilts. HTTP has only the slimmest
notion of users (really only passkeys), and no notion at all
of accountability. There is nothing useful to the developer
in that kind of statement, except maybe to provide a sense
of wellbeing when mounted on the cubicle wall in cross-stitch,
next to other homilies. "A difference that makes no difference
is no difference."

Russell

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