6 ms·

I've always done what you do. I feel like `www` is a subdomain that nobody ever wanted.

foo123456 10y ago
well, using www for one lets you avoid buying a completely different domain to serve static content in a cookie-less fashion.
- Abundnce10 10y ago
  I don't understand what you mean. Would you mind expanding on this?
  - jordanlev 10y ago
    Every time you request something (a web page, an image, a css file, etc) from a server, your browser sends any cookie data that had previously been set by that server as part of the request header. Cookies can be set for specific subdomains only, but if they are set for the "unprefixed" domain they will also be sent for all subdomains (just the nature of how browsers handle cookies). Since cookie data is rarely needed just to server static assets (images, css files, etc), you can shave off some time on each request if you serve them from a subdomain that is different from the web page's subdomain... but of course your web page has to actually be at a subdomain (e.g. www.example.com) in order for this to work. Hence, setting up your main web pages to be at a subdomain (such as www.) gives you the ability to then serve static assets from different subdomains without browsers having to send cookie data on each request.
    - mxuribe 10y ago
      Nice explanation on this!
  - zrail 10y ago
    Cookies are scoped to a domain name and all subdomains under that domain name. For example, if you set a cookie on `ycombinator.com` that cookie will be presented to `news.ycombinator.com` as well. Using `www.example.com` as your cookied domain allows you to avoid sending your cookies to `cdn.example.com`, shaving off a few bytes of incoming bandwidth per request. Whereas if you use `example.com` as your cookied domain, those cookies will be passed to `cdn.example.com`. To avoid that, you'd have to set up your CDN on a completely different domain like `examplecdn.com`.
    - mxuribe 10y ago
      Another nice explanation on this!
zhte415 10y ago
It is surprising how many companies in technology and related spaces don't have any redirect to a bare domain name, and assume everyone types 'www.' before it. 404 simply exists without the www prefix. That's serverside at least, whichi is easily remididied given simple education Much harder is the more than 70% of exotic browsers used by millions; I hate 2345 in particular.
NeutronBoy 10y ago
I'm also considering my position on 'www', now that we have new GTLDs (I have been in favor of naked URLs). nike.com is obviously a website nike.shoes isn't - especially depending on the context. At least www.nike.shoes is recognisable as a URL

well, using www for one lets you avoid buying a completely different domain to serve static content in a cookie-less fashion.

Abundnce10 10y ago
I don't understand what you mean. Would you mind expanding on this?
- jordanlev 10y ago
  Every time you request something (a web page, an image, a css file, etc) from a server, your browser sends any cookie data that had previously been set by that server as part of the request header. Cookies can be set for specific subdomains only, but if they are set for the "unprefixed" domain they will also be sent for all subdomains (just the nature of how browsers handle cookies). Since cookie data is rarely needed just to server static assets (images, css files, etc), you can shave off some time on each request if you serve them from a subdomain that is different from the web page's subdomain... but of course your web page has to actually be at a subdomain (e.g. www.example.com) in order for this to work. Hence, setting up your main web pages to be at a subdomain (such as www.) gives you the ability to then serve static assets from different subdomains without browsers having to send cookie data on each request.
  - mxuribe 10y ago
    Nice explanation on this!
- zrail 10y ago
  Cookies are scoped to a domain name and all subdomains under that domain name. For example, if you set a cookie on `ycombinator.com` that cookie will be presented to `news.ycombinator.com` as well. Using `www.example.com` as your cookied domain allows you to avoid sending your cookies to `cdn.example.com`, shaving off a few bytes of incoming bandwidth per request. Whereas if you use `example.com` as your cookied domain, those cookies will be passed to `cdn.example.com`. To avoid that, you'd have to set up your CDN on a completely different domain like `examplecdn.com`.
  - mxuribe 10y ago
    Another nice explanation on this!

zhte415 10y ago

It is surprising how many companies in technology and related spaces don't have any redirect to a bare domain name, and assume everyone types 'www.' before it. 404 simply exists without the www prefix. That's serverside at least, whichi is easily remididied given simple education Much harder is the more than 70% of exotic browsers used by millions; I hate 2345 in particular.

NeutronBoy 10y ago

I'm also considering my position on 'www', now that we have new GTLDs (I have been in favor of naked URLs). nike.com is obviously a website nike.shoes isn't - especially depending on the context. At least www.nike.shoes is recognisable as a URL