> -----Original Message-----
> From: Keith Moore [mailto:moore@cs.utk.edu]
> Sent: Thursday, July 29, 1999 7:20 AM
> To: mcmanus@appliedtheory.com
> Cc: moore@cs.utk.edu; joshco@Exchange.Microsoft.com;
> iking@microsoft.com; jmartin@netapp.com; touch@ISI.EDU;
> wrec@cs.utk.edu
> Subject: Re: WPAD and WREC
>
>
> The whole subject of web caching, particularly "automatic" web
> caching, is very controversial. Folks should not take it as a
> given that IETF will agree to endorse the practice, merely because
> some vendors have decided to support it in their products. And
> in general it seems more desirable to develop technical solutions
> which at once serve a balance of interests between content-provider
> and consumer, than to immediately endorse cache-only solutions.
>
> Keith
>
WPAD doesnt enforce "automatic caching", what its really about is
for most corporate users, who site behind a proxy firewall.
Today, helpdesks and sysadmins are frustrated by the fact that
users have trouble configuring their browsers to use a proxy to
get out to the internet. WPAD makes this automatic.
Obviously, in environments where its not appropriate, such as
an ISP or an academic institution, the net admins would not set
the network for autodiscovery.
Further, (grinding my own personal axe), WPAD allows the easy use
of normal http proxies. By this I mean proxies which are not
network transparent. My personal beleif is that "transparent proxies"
that mix the network layers via spoofing and other tricks are
questionable. WPAD, by automating the problem of browser
configuratio ( the lack of which is one of the major drivers
which have brought transparent proxies), we can reduce the
need to do those questionable practices.
>
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