REST isn't a standard protocol. It exists and is used by convention. Throw a rock and you'll hit a developer who understands REST a little differently. While

REST isn't a standard protocol. It exists and is used by convention. Throw a rock and you'll hit a developer who understands REST a little differently. While there are technically "more correct" ways of doing it, you probably won't be berated for doing it your own way. I've worked a dozen or so different jobs and I've never been in an organization that handles REST the same way. There's really no "enlightenment". It's just a way to get data from one place to another in a relatively simple way with low overhead using protocols that already exist. Check out SOAP. It's a standard protocol. Compare how it works to how REST works and you'll probably pretty easily see the differences and benefits to each.