In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Daniel Veditz wrote:
> The Mozilla version should *really* go in the existing Mozilla product
> token, creating a second token to cover the same product is just wrong. But
> when we messed with "Mozilla/5.0" sites started to break so the minor
> version parts were moved into the Mozilla product comment.

Sorry, the Mozilla token is gone, long gone. It's now a disgusting
generic token used to indicate some vague level of agent featurefulness.
Don't believe me? Here's a quick grep of my access log.

Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; Konqueror/2.2.1; Linux 2.4.9-pre4-xfs; X11; i686; en)
Mozilla/3.0 (Slurp/cat; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; http://www.inktomi.com/slurp.html)
Mozilla/4.7 (compatible; WhizBang)
Mozilla/3.0 (Slurp/si; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; http://www.inktomi.com/slurp.html)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; BorderManager 3.0)
Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; Ask Jeeves)
Mozilla/3.01 (compatible;)
Mozilla/4.5 (Compatible)
Mozilla/3.0 (compatible; Indy Library)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; Netcraft Web Server Survey)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; http://www.netcraft.com/survey/)
Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; T-H-U-N-D-E-R-S-T-O-N-E)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; SecuritySpace WebSurvey; http://www.securityspace.com )
Mozilla/4.0 (fantomCrew Browser)
Mozilla/4.0 compatible ZyBorg/1.0 ([EMAIL PROTECTED]; http://www.WISEnutbot.com)
Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; MS FrontPage 4.0)
Mozilla/3.0 (compatible; Webinator-nuts.coconutisland.com/2.56)
Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; NEWT ActiveX; Win32)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible: FDSE robot)
Mozilla/4.7 ( Liberate; DTV; 4_0; WIN32; GenericProvider )
Mozilla/4.0 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mozilla/3.0 NAVIO_AOLTV (11; 13; Philips; PH200; 1; R2.0C36_AOL.0110OPTIK; 
R2.0.0138d_OPTIK)
Mozilla/3.0 (compatible; Webinator-gogettem.nfis.com/2.52)
Mozilla/4.7 (compatible; http://eidetica.com/spider)
Mozilla/2.0 (compatible; MS FrontPage 3.0)
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; Win32; WinHttp.WinHttpRequest.5)
Mozilla/3.0 (compatible; Fluffy the spider; http://www.searchhippo.com/; 
[EMAIL PROTECTED])
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; ICS 1.2.94)

Belive me now? I've got more.

So we're quite stuck with it. Mozilla/4.* was the token in MSIE and
NCSP for the last 6 years... I'm amazed we're able to get away with
Mozilla/5.0 (IE6 still uses Mozilla/4.0).

> Frankly I don't know why sites set "Mozilla/5.0" in stone, Netscape released
> all manner of "Mozilla/4.xx" versions without causing problems.

Hopefully, we'll never bother to advance it again.

> That's what the spec says, but in fact Netscape 6.2 was built from the 0.9.4
> branch started on Sept 4th., it didn't correspond to the Gecko of October 19
> at all. It was whatever was on the 0.9.4 branch on 10/19. I've elsewhere

Then Netscape broke the spec, and needs to stop doing so.

> proposed (bug 65764) that it'd be more accurate and in keeping with the spec
> to do something like "Gecko/20010904.45" (45 days into a branch started Sept
> 4th).

That would be no more accurate, and only further breaking the spec.
".45" is quite meaningless. If Netscape is modifying Gecko that much
after branch, the Gecko/ token should be removed.

>> I propose switching from:
>>   Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US; rv:0.9.7+) Gecko/20020104
>> to:
>>   Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-US) Gecko/20020104 Seamonkey/0.9.7+
> 
> Well, not "Seamonkey". That was Netscape's codename for 6.0 and has a bit of
> a bad taste around here (as does this newsgroup's name).

What, then? Netscape used their code name for the token (Mozilla)...
only fitting Mozilla uses its code name (Seamonkey).

> I'd still rather make it "Mozilla/5.0.9.7+" or some variant, though.

Can't happen. Not until Mozilla and Netscape and MSIE and Opera and
Konq sit at Mozilla/5.0 long enough for sites to stop using that token
for anything useful.

/jmd

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