Re: [Sip] INFO considered harmful

[Dean Willis <dean.willis@softarmor.com>]

Jonathan Rosenberg wrote:
> Folks,
>
> For some time, I've been complaining about the continued abuse of the 
> INFO method for things that should be done other ways (frequently, not 
> using sip at all). I've written up a summary of the problems and a 
> proposed path forward. Specifically, I'd like to obsolete INFO and 
> replace it with a spec that is approved ONLY for SIP-T.
>
> Until the I-D appears, you can pick up a version at:
>
> http://www.jdrosen.net/papers/draft-rosenberg-sip-info-harmful-00.txt
> http://www.jdrosen.net/papers/draft-rosenberg-sip-info-harmful-00.html
Jonathan and I have had "extended discussions" on this. I'm more 
inclined to think that INFO needs specifications for specific usages, 
much as we use "events packages" for SIP Events (SUBSCRIBE, NOTIFY). In 
my own completely non-original way, I call these "INFO Packages".

I think that the SIP-T usage of INFO is a perfect example of an INFO 
package. However, I think it is NOT the only reasonable use for INFO. 
Unsolicited in-dialog "stuff" is pretty darned useful. All we really 
need is for the usages to be differentiable, negotiable, and 
well-documented. Admittedly, INFO doesn't have any of those three 
characteristics right now, but I think we can probably fix it without 
breaking too much existing stuff.

Anybody else have a third opinion?

--
Dean
Not Speaking From The Chair.

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