Privacy/TPWG/Change Proposal Revise network interaction definition

Existing Text

2.3 Network Transaction

A network interaction is the set of HTTP requests and responses, or any other sequence of logically related network traffic caused by a user visit to a single web page or similar single action. Page re-loads, navigation, and refreshing of content cause a new network interaction to commence.

Proposal (1): Redefine network interaction as all requests caused by a user interaction

Change proposal from Jack Hobaugh; issue-228

If this term wasn't ultimately used in a document, then the definition would be removed.

New text

A network interaction is the set of HTTP requests and responses, or other sequence of logically related network traffic, caused by a user visit to a single web page or interaction with page elements.

Non-normative text

This is meant to represent the atomic level of interaction by users with web pages. Page loads, navigation, and clicks are common forms of interaction.

Page load, object mouse-over, image click, hyperlink click, sub-element re-load, and form entries are all examples of valid network interactions.

Proposal (2): Split into user action, network interaction, and subrequest

Change proposal from Roy Fielding, based on earlier comments; issue-217

If any of these term weren't ultimately used in a document, then that definition would be removed.

2.3 Network Interaction, User Action, and Subrequest

A network interaction is a single HTTP request and its corresponding response(s): zero or more interim (1xx) responses and a single final (2xx-5xx) response.

A user action is a deliberate action by the user, via configuration, invocation, or selection, to initiate a network interaction. Selection of a link, submission of a form, and reloading a page are examples of user actions.

A subrequest is any network interaction that is not directly initiated by user action. For example, an initial response in a hypermedia format that contains embedded references to stylesheets, images, frame sources, and onload actions will cause a browser, depending on its capabilities and configuration, to perform a corresponding set of automated subrequests to fetch those references using additional network interactions.