Does a URL shortener violate HTTP when it offers analytics on GET links to the public? I think the OP should understand that HTTP is a leaky abstraction. GET

Does a URL shortener violate HTTP when it offers analytics on GET links to the public? I think the OP should understand that HTTP is a leaky abstraction. GET requests always have some side effect, either on the server end or the client end. Server A and Server B. A GETs B's data and and offers a mutated version of it, which B GETs, and further mutates. Side effects with no POSTS! This is natural too, in a distributed environment, since each agent should be responsible for mutating its own state, rather than have B POST something to A. You can't abstract this dynamics into HTTP, but you can use HTTP to handle the underlying communication mechanics, like caching and authorization.