> > Here's the rub -- no amount of indirection or abstraction can alter the fact > that *people* ultimately say where things are. Purls, handles, and all other > resolution services must be told where the item actually is in order to > work.
Yep. Couldn't agree more. But, see below: > > It's much easier to just embed a unique identifier. As a practical matter it > doesn't matter much how this is done (though there is some utility in having > a predictable URL friendly syntax). The item can move anywhere, access > becomes less dependent on specific technologies, and so long as an indexing > engine that your discovery interface can connect to has access to the item > or metadata, you're set. can you give a practical example? I can see embedding an id somewhere in a digital file, and then creating a link to it as part of the indexing process, but what about external content that we have no control over... yet are expected to reference in a consistent way? ...adam http://www.rockhall.com/ Rock & Roll: (noun) African American slang dating back to the early 20th Century. In the early 1950s, the term came to be used to describe a new form of music, steeped in the blues, rhythm & blues, country and gospel. Today, it refers to a wide variety of popular music -- frequently music with an edge and attitude, music with a good beat and --- often --- loud guitars.© 2005 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. This communication is a confidential and proprietary business communication. It is intended solely for the use of the designated recipient(s). If this communication is received in error, please contact the sender and delete this communication.
