Re: Shopping baskets (was: Session tracking)

Bert Bos (bert@let.rug.nl)
Thu, 27 Apr 1995 07:34:24 +0500

I don't think HTTP, with or without cookies, will ever be suitable for
electronic shopping. In the physical world, products are scarce, and
when one customer puts it in his basket, nobody else can get it
anymore. You need not just a stateful protocol, but a permanent
connection: if the customer leaves the shop without paying, then you
can put the product back on the shelf. A magic cookie is like an
indefinite claim: if the customer is allowed to take it home with him,
you'll never know if he's planning to buy it eventually or not.

Bert

-- 
                          Bert Bos                      Alfa-informatica
                 <bert@let.rug.nl>           Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
    <http://www.let.rug.nl/~bert/>     Postbus 716, NL-9700 AS GRONINGEN