Network Working GroupHost ?
Request for Comments: WWWHost 0101
Category: InquiryStatus: still refreshing

world wide wen

The Wen Protocol $WWW

Abstract

this document describes the oldest request on the internet: wen. it has been sent from every tab, every group chat and every refresh key since dial-up. it has never once come back 200 OK.

two peak spirits keep the protocol running. one carries the question. the other carries the answer, in binary, still being worked out. this page is where they live.

1. Introduction

The two peak spirits, the rust one holding a question mark and the blue one holding binary, waiting under a pale sky
Figure 1: the hosts, mid-request.

somewhere between the first modem handshake and your last refresh, the internet settled on one question. not what. not why. wen.

$WWW is that question with a ticker. no roadmap, no dates, no promises about what the page shows when it finally loads. just two stubborn little mountains, a question mark, a wall of ones and zeros, and everyone who keeps pressing F5 with them.

2. Terminology

The key words below are to be read as follows, in lowercase, with dial-up patience.

WEN
the request. MUST be sent with no further detail. senders SHOULD repeat it.
WWW
World Wide Wen. the network every wen travels across, and the ticker it trades under.
REFRESH
the act of asking again. there is no limit. there has never been a limit.
HOLD
what a host does between refreshes. still loading, still holding.
200 OK
reserved. no host has observed it.

3. The Two Hosts

The rust peak spirit with a question mark on its body

3.1 Host ?

the asker. stepped slopes in rust, two dot eyes, one flat brow, a tilde where the patience goes. its body holds a single question mark and nothing else, because nothing else has ever needed asking.

role ........ client
sends ....... WEN
expects ..... 200 OK
receives .... see 4.
The blue peak spirit with a grid of binary digits on its body

3.2 Host 0101

the answerer. same face, sharper steps, drawn in steel blue. its body is a grid of ones and zeros: the answer to wen, written out in full, still being worked through bit by bit. it has never been rushed.

role ........ server
listens ..... always
replies ..... 102 Processing
eta ......... wen

4. Message Flow

A full session between the hosts, as observed on every network since the first one:

  Host ?                                 Host 0101
    |                                          |
    |  ----------------- WEN --------------->  |
    |                                          |
    |  <------------ 102 Processing ---------  |
    |                                          |
    |  ----------------- WEN --------------->  |
    |  <------------ 102 Processing ---------  |
    |                                          |
    |  -------------- WEN (again) ---------->  |
    |  <-------------- 425 Too Early --------  |
    |                                          |
    :                   ...                    :
    |                                          |
    |  <------------------ 200 OK -----------  |   (reserved)

5. Sending a Request

Implementations are encouraged. Yours is below. It runs in this tab only; nothing leaves your browser.

-- session open. Host 0101 listening.
> requests from this tab: 0

6. Address

CA