A Universal Resource Identifier (URI) is a member of this universal set of names in registered name spaces and addresses refering to registered protocols. The URL specfication defines a set of mappings onto URIs for addresses of objects accessed existing internet protocols onto URI. The URN debate attempts to define a namespace (and presumably resolution protocols) for persistent object names. This areas is not addressed by this document, which is written in order to document existing practice and provide a reference point for URL and URN discussions.
It is therefore issued under the required "informational RFC" disclaimer.
The world-wide web protocols are discussed on the mailing listwww-talk-request@info.cern.ch and the newsgroup comp.infosystems.www. The Mailing list uri-request@bunyip.com has discussion related partiularly to the URI issue. The author may be contacted as timbl@info.cern.ch.