Re: LYNX-DEV This blind user needs help

[Tom Zerucha]

On Sat, 15 Feb 1997, Foteos Macrides wrote:

>       This matter has been discussed at length numerous times on
> the lynx-dev list.  As things presently stand, it seems doubtful
> that anyone will ever again be able to find those explanations via
> an Alta-Vista search of the lynx-dev archives, and it's unknown

> Pierre Berube has gone off thinking this is a bug in v2.6 with no clue
> that it is a bug/misuse of the HTTP/CGI protocols by the script which
> handles that form, and thus no likelihood that the service will be
> corrected.

I am not an expert in HTTP/CGI protocols, and missed the message traffic
that explained the problem, but figured out the Redirect prompt and can
usually guess what to do in 2.6+.  Anything of this nature should be
easily found starting with the Help function in Lynx, but...

I found the reference in Al's Picks page, while though excellent is not
the first place I would go to determine what is going wrong.  The article
has a title with "A popular abuse in which a form switches modes", which I
don't know that I would associate with the problem until I actually read
the text.  "I'm getting the Redirect prompt - what is going on?" might be
a better title for someone who is not diligent. 

We might need a "Top 10 abuses of HTTP that Lynx has problems with" 
list/page/reference, and add this somewhere in the lynx_help tree.

Or maybe the FAQ, since the cited problem is not in the "I'm having
trouble", nor do I find anything when I search for "form", "cgi" or
"redirect". 

1. Missing (or misnested) Tags (use a validator)
2. CGI misdirection  (you get a redirect... prompt)
3. User Agent bigotry.
4. Entire page is "[ISMAP]".
...

I know everything is under construction constantly, and lynx-dev probably
has the best collection of information, but it is difficult to wade
through, even with a search engine (Alta Vista searching is an art unto
itself).

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