Internationalization and Multilingualism in Web Standards

Larry Masinter

Palo Alto Research Center

November 1996


Purpose of talk


First: What is the Web?


One Network, Everyone on it


Mixed modes of communication


For multiple media


Who makes Web Standards?


Kinds of web standards


Standards for Web Content


MIME:
MultiPurpose Internet Mail Exchange


Internet Media Types ("MIME types")


MIME Major Types


MIME subtype


MIME Text: Characters


Charset issues


Primary issue


MIME Content-Language


Standards for network protocols


HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)


HTTP Improvements


Simple content negotiation in HTTP


Transparent negotiation in HTTP


Dimensions of negotiation


Issues for HTTP Internationalization and Multilingualism


Identifiers in the Web


URL Requirements


URN Requirements


URC: Uniform Resource Characteristics


Some unsolved problems


Other protocols in the Web


Summary: Internationalization and Multilingualism in Web Standards