Re: PaceServiceError GET vs. POST (was Re: AtomPubIssuesList)

[Robert Sayre <mint@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Mark Pilgrim wrote:

> I'm sure this has already been discussed, so if someone could point me
> to the archives where someone explained why clients are supposed to
> perform a GET on the ErrorURI instead of a POST, I'd be very grateful.
>  
http://www.imc.org/atom-syntax/mail-archive/msg03611.html

There are lots of reasons to use a GET. The main one is that the request 
to the ErrorURI should be considered safe by the client:

"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." [1]

There is no message body in the request, and requests to the ErrorURI 
are not intended to alter any resource on the server.

Robert Sayre

[1] http://www.w3.org/Protocols/rfc2616/rfc2616-sec9.html