Graphics, Visualization, and Usability Center

HTTP Comments

Comment 0: Gn was the much more enticing server in that you can use the same program to service gopher as well as http, and there is no need for a daemon since it runs under inetd.

Comment 1: French fries were cold.

Comment 2: I run 3 servers In addition to this I have written my own ISMAP support (using rectangles, circles and polygons) aswell as my own specialist HTTP server (not yet up and running since its in the beta stage :)

Comment 3: Check these:

Comment 4: IMAGEMAP still bombs for some unknown reason. Principle seems to be simple though.

Comment 5: Server setup is too complex. There are too many config files.

Comment 6: We are happy to let users serve their own files by giving access to directories in the WWW server area or a symlink to their own directory.

Comment 7: The cern server is a pain because even simple images (gif files) imposed too great a load; the ncsa httpd is fabulous - very fast, very efficient; the only slight snag is that it's very fussy about the format of its configuration files.

Comment 8: sorry, maybe not the right survey for me ;-)

Comment 9: Don't try my server - its for my own experimental purposes only.

Comment 10: httpd is easy to set up - any idiot could do it BUT - doing anything fancy with scripts etc is time consuming and the 'hurdle' is quite high (for me anyway)

Comment 11: I assumed the questions about the server ratings have to do with installation. Neither CERN nor NCSA need a lot of maintenance (apart from the pages). Also, I installed a very early version of CERN's deamon, so things might have changed. Feel free to change my answers when they don't conform to your assumptions.

Comment 12: Wrote freeport2html for plexus.

Comment 13: ISMAP very hard to grasp.

Comment 14: It's quite aggrevating to discover that many of the features touted in HTTP1.0 are not supported by any servers. In particular, it would be nice to have an easy way to use data typing (MIME) to  ensure delivery of documents in formats that the clients understand. Right now, I'm not sure that any server supports HTTP1.0 data typing fully.

Comment 15: I have a server on a Mac (MacHTTP 1.2.1) at this time. My graduate assistant has been doing the work on the UNIX servers.

Comment 16: Rob McCool is my hero!

Comment 17: 1) Included Images: It ist bad that for every image there is an extra http connection necessary. 2) Sounds: Why must I wait until the Browser (Ex. Mosaic) has the full sound file ? Xgopher starts the soundplayer directly.

Comment 18: The server selection boxes should have a way to turn off the selection. I mistakenly turned on the never used button on the CERN server and couldnt turn it off. I went ahead and set the other two to never used as well but to be honest I seldom can tell, as a user, to which server I am talking and I don't run any of them. So never used doesn't really apply to me as a user, but to me as an info server...

Comment 19: I am using MacHTTP the mac server software Its support of forms and ismap leaves a lot to be desired.

Comment 20: I have a SLIP link with a variable-IP number, so I have to keep fiddling with config files whenever I start SLIP. Although I run a server, it doesn't do much; it really just allows access to my home page for a few friends. (This is a personal SLIP connection.)

Comment 21: Accept-Language: spec is ambiguous at best. It would be nice to order language preference. E.g "Accept-Language: {German}, en_US, en_{British}" would tell the server to hand out German version of doc if it exists, else US English version, else British English. (Plese pardon ISO language code ignorance.) It would be fairly easy to hack a server to do this, but a formal approval would be nice.

Comment 22: The plotting of points to be used by ismap is a fiddly and not very gratifying task - a graphical ismap editor would be a very nice tool to have

Comment 23: I'm a newbie! :-) I am sure I will learn more of this stuff as I go along.

Comment 24: My displeasure w/ NCSA httpd was from experience before it hit version 1.0. Setup and documentation were awful then. Plexus still remains the most flexible. ISMAP handling is still awful. I've patched in my own arbitrary pixel matching with every version of plexus.

Comment 25: I use MacHTTP

Comment 26: Ask again later :-)

Comment 27: Work on WWW servers I use is firewalled from the Internet, for internal company use. It's also administered ... so I can't run my own, and can't get my fingers dirty. Damn ...

Comment 28: Not sure which server I'm using. File name httpd_1.0a5

Comment 29: I never had to do with http.

Comment 30: The HTTP protocol needs to be looked at carefully. There are some holes in it and the way it is implemented. It needs work to become more robust - especially with the vast increasing use that is underway.

Comment 31: I like that the server design is simple (relatively small). This gets us up and running fast. I'm a little concerned that the servers will become too complex and hard to manage (as we ask them to do more and more complicated work - authentication, program invocation, etc.).

Comment 32: it's not clear how should I rate the servers. If I'm running my own server I can rate it, if I access it I usually don't know and/or care what server is.

Comment 33: Although I can't add documents to a server, I could start running my own server if necessary.

Comment 34: The server that I operate is not on this machine. Therefore, I am not sure whether or not I have anserwed the questions properly.

Comment 35: Using a modified NCSA server developed by an internal organization; it uses SOCKS to talk through our security firewall.

Comment 36: why do the map configurations have to be in a 'system' config file. Shouldn't it be part of the HTML hypertext href-like syntax?

Comment 37: I plan to switch to the NCSA server.

Comment 38: I plan to switch to the NCSA server.

Comment 39: Could you add an explanation of the items you ask about? I answered no to some of the questions, but you got my interest up and it would be handy if the information was right here.

Comment 40: One of the biggest needs for me is better (more consistent) use of the Expires header. Effective caching is not really possible until then. I also would like to see a table of contents or catalog command --- especially if it allows query by creation/last modify times.

Comment 41: Same comment as before --- there's nothing on either this survey or the HTML survey which offers guidance to the community on how these components of the web could or should be extended to better serve servers and clients.

Comment 42: Just finish writing a forms interface to a local database... now i'm looking for an excuse to use ISMAP :-)

Comment 43: cause I can't find a map of Georgia!

Comment 44: Many aspects of httpd servers. Trying to find time to look at scripts/forms/logging as well as bring up a populated server is a lot to do for one person

Comment 45: after completing the survey your page should have a link to the next part.

Comment 46: I have also written simple inetd-based server scripts in perl (and originally csh), especially before Plexus was available.

Comment 47: May be starting up a server soon. Looking at GN and plexus, so far.

Comment 48: haven't had the time to investigate CGI, etc. Nor have I really built an ISMAP, but I have hacked other peoples versions.

Comment 49: I need a good tutorial on ISMAP

Comment 50: By using a common group to the accounts we have made the server accessable by all the students/faculty at this site.

Comment 51: GN was our introduction to HTTP servers. The NCSA server looks quite nice, but the documentation makes it a bit intimidating to set up the first time...

Comment 52: I just started up an http server, one of many within the Sun firewall. I haven't played around with it as much as I'd like, but am planning to make extensize use of the server in the future.

Comment 53: ismap is unnecessarily difficult to set up.

Comment 54: I am looking at using an http server to provide graphical access to statistical data at Tech.

Comment 55: Would love ncsa httd to log fails so they are easy to discover. Finding link errors is a pain trawling through the logs and seeing if files exist or not.

Comment 56: Sorry, I'm not much help on this one.

Comment 57: Document on http is somewhat sketchy.

Comment 58: Haven't gotten the nerve to server any of my hypertext to the world, yet.

Comment 59: Sorry.

Comment 60: If I can get access, I will be using a server in the near future. Otherwise, I will be creating a local-only web. This is for a workgroup project.

Comment 61: I run a modified NCSA httpd 0.3, updated for HTTP/0.9. I added the ability to run scripts to it before CGI and before running scripts was added to the NCSA (or any other, I think) server. It also has a different access control method based on the way the CMU CS anonymous FTP server performs access control. I should probably just update my scripts to use CGI and be done with it, but am lazy....

Comment 62: It would be easier if you put some references at the bottom of your docment that appears after I have send in 1 questionaire. I would like to choose to go to the next form, back to the first form or stop filling in. Succes with your survey.

Comment 63: Maybe I'll try Plexus - I've heard it can use local caching (with proxy URLs). That would help me to reduce network traffic.

Comment 64: Doc is not really well about servers, and about scripts.

Comment 65: I have used the excellent HTTP server for Mac called (surprise!) MacHTTP. It is easy to set up and configure.

Comment 66: The httpd server was a breeze to set up and is easy to maintain. Nice job, again.

Comment 67: I think Applescript in the Mac server will be popular with non-programmers

Comment 68: We're developing an interface to our repository using http - ISMAPs will be generated on the fly for visualization of things like compilation dependency graphs (we have this working)

Comment 69: Perhaps I misunderstood the questions. I run MacHTTP on a personal machine. I set it up strictly out of curiosity, mainly to see what would be involved in creating an HTTP server. I was pleasantly suprised to discover that in fact it was trivially easy to set up the Macintosh as a server. I've added a variety of documents to the home page and other types of information, but I haven't done anything complex yet. The ISMAP stuff seems entertaining, but I just haven't had any real use for it yet, so I haven't bothered to learn it.

Comment 70: The documentation for both gn and NCSA servers isn't especially good.

Comment 71: I had not much time to try so I know only the basics of http.

Comment 72: Excellent survey overall.

Comment 73: I've not yet found an document describing HTTP my knowledge comes from reading plexus, httpd_1.05, and various scripts like explore.

Comment 74: Actually I do mainly the database part but I have to know how ther server works in principle (security reasons etc.)

Comment 75: Other people can add documents to the` server. I've got it set up to feed the filesystem (or at least the parts that have been ok'd for anonymous access.)

Comment 76: I'm currently having a bloody hard time getting scripts working with the cern server. I cant seem to create a finger server I'm about to go home and put my head in a paper bag.

Comment 77: The low score for the NCSA server reflects the problems I have been having in trying to set up the server, as against the CERN server which is virtually "plug-n-play". However, I think in the long term I want to offer both map and forms support from a server and will persevere to get the NCSA server installed. ... One day......soon.

Comment 78: Just gearing up here...

Comment 79: We have one Unix techie and three people building the site, and it seems to work very well for us. I'm not sure I like how GNN is distributed to differnt sites these days. --JMax

Comment 80: Can I "somewhat know" something I've studied but never tried to implement? I'd say so.

Comment 81: Spoze I should read more docs... so enamoured with HTML I haven't bothered -- yet!

Comment 82: I've just started running a server at I do not think it is available outside of Ziff's corporate network, although we are connected to the internet. I have no way of knowing if our server is accessable from the outside. If you try and succeed, please send me mail at

Comment 83: So, what is ISMAP, then?

Comment 84: ISMAP was really hard to work with. It is actually not documented enough, I think. We need tools to easily create ISMAPs, so more people would use them.

Comment 85: Ismap is clunky I think that there should be support for browsers to be able to show regions of interest

Comment 86: I am in the process of setting up a server here. I am learning how to do it on my own machine, and am then going to install it on another machine. Currently I am using port 8080, but when it is set up on the dedicated machine, it will get port 80.

Comment 87: With respect to the "no" answers, is there documentation available?

Comment 88: I s'pose I ought to upgrade to NCSA httpd V1.0 and convert my scripts to CGI!

Comment 89: I have just installed an NCSA server on my system. My knowledge is very rudimentary. I don't yet have an informed opinion of the server. The hypertext documentation was very usable, once I downloaded the tar file and did my browsing locally.

Comment 90: Jimbo-rama

Comment 91: running a very small server at: http software was very easy to compile and install... pretty impressive.

Comment 92: Just starting out, currently site is private.

Comment 93: I will use ISMAP more when I get a server that runs it. At present we are writing a simple tool to produce ISMAP files from 2-D pictures from other sources

Comment 94: Unfortunately the current CERN server doesn't support CGI yet, but I don't want to switch to something else because other server maintainers here would have to switch with me. (I've installed the server binary, which is distributed to the file servers here, and give those who want to run a server basic information in cooking-receipe form.

Comment 95: I have had some minor problems with the NCSA server. I tried a number of ways to communicate to NCSA with no luck. The only hope is local expertise. Once I got things running with a work around I felt uninclined to go further. I actually feel that the fastest way to solve my problem would be to debug from source...

Comment 96: CGI just seemed to show up in the latest http server distribution. I'm not sure what it stands for. I only know cgi-bin is the directory to use to add your own scripts and programs.

Comment 97: I wrote my own server back when the HTTP protcol was very simple and compact. The HTTP/1.0 documentation no longer gives a back pointer to the older HTTP which leaves me in a slightly tricky position if I want to compare my server against HTTP/0.9. Trying to write an HTTP/1.0 server looks like an annoying task since the protocol doesn't seem to have any of the important bits sorted out yet... If I were to need HTTP/1.0 functionality then I might switch to NCSA HTTPD simply because it has most of the features I enjoy with my toy server and writing programs to hack all that MIME stuff looks too much like hard work... On the other hand, HTTP/0.9 works OK for me so if it isn't broken, why mend it?

Comment 98: RE: the port question currently in development with a >1000 port number, to move to 80 for production.

Comment 99: I avoid ISMAP because Lynx is the primary viewer used.

Comment 100: I know what ISMAP is, but I've never had the occasion to use it, but I don't think that reflects any on my expertise as an html author or http admin. By the way, my http server is not accessible from outside my company, you might have wanted to ask about this in your survey.

Comment 101: I've only recently set up my and haven't had the time / need to do any really cool stuff (ISMAP, etc.)

Comment 102: ISMAP questions seems to me problematics, as ISMAP would be substituted by the HTML+ FIG, which is more powerful.

Comment 103: Very smooth installation. The best traditions of the net. Keep it up.

Comment 104: Setting up my ISMAP was definitely the hardest part of the process -- but it wasn't that bad.

Comment 105: Finding information on ISMAP is difficult if not impossible for some. I myself have lost my reference for ISMAP help.

Comment 106: More online, tutorial stuff would be of wide benefit

Comment 107: The documantation on CGI-scripts and ISMAP needs work...and more examples.

Comment 108: I have a test HTTP server running within our company. I used the CERN server because that's were the Web led me. I appears good but I have not done much with it.

Comment 109: I'm writing NCSA httpd imagemap compliant map configuration file editor. It works on X11R5, and gives drawing tool like interface. It will be available on Interet in near future. (Source code and binary...)

Comment 110: I am a beginner at HTTP. I've used both the MacHTTP and HTTPD for SUN. The MacHTTP was incredibly simple to get running. The SUN daemon (from NCSA) required a little bit of work but I managed to get a reudimentary, experimental server going. Like them both a lot!

Comment 111: Just getting started!

Comment 112: What are all these funny standards you are talking about?

Comment 113: I wrote my own server, See

Comment 114: Protocol doesn't contain an 'a'.

Comment 115: I am new to WWW/Mosaic (less than 2 months). However, I certainly like to learn more. My answers to those questions would very likely different in another 2 months.

Comment 116: I would like a copy of this survey. Omy

Comment 117:

Comment 118: I really don't know which server I have installed ... I just did it.

Comment 119: tried installing cern on my sparc... after various probs, tried ncsa which finally worked after some kicking...

Comment 120: you should indicate the server types by name ("httpd") as well as the agency who made it

Comment 121: I am just a Mosaic user. You should say, what people are the forms for.