[foaf-protocols] [foaf-dev] Fwd: [diso-project] Open Friend Request Protocol?

[Toby A Inkster]

On 15 Dec 2008, at 16:39, Story Henry wrote:

> Yes. What about a really simple protocol:
>
>    your client does a GET on your foaf file. In it's header it leaves
> information about who it was, a little like the User-Agent fields. The
> server can then check it's log files from time to time for these
> fields, and find out if the people that made requests are people it
> knows...


Probably a good method. Another way might be:

POST /your/foaf.rdf HTTP/1.1
Host: example.net
Content-Type: application/turtle
Content-Length: 80
X-Asserted-By: http://example.com/#me

<http://example.com/#me>
     <http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/knows>
         <#you> .

With a script on the server handling such additions by placing them  
in a queue to be accepted or declined. (Or performing some other  
action depending on how it has been configured.) Perhaps the Referer  
field could be "borrowed" instead of X-Asserted-By. Or maybe even  
 From could be used with an e-mail address: the acceptance or  
declinance (I'm sure that's not a word) could be notified to the e- 
mail address - although that might cause a spam problem.

This of course has applications beyond friendship requests.

-- 
Toby A Inkster
<mailto:mail at tobyinkster.co.uk>
<http://tobyinkster.co.uk>