51b6f885   
   From: barmar@alum.mit.edu   
      
   In article   
   ,   
    "skillzero@gmail.com"  wrote:   
      
   > Is there a reliable way for a client to initiate HTTP authentication?   
   > For example, a server might allow unauthenticated access to /status to   
   > show public status info, but if it might also show user-specific   
   > status if the request is authenticated. I can think of hacks that   
   > might work, such as adding an "Authorization" header with bad info,   
   > hoping that the server will send me back a 401 Unauthorized response   
   > with a nonce, etc. so I can authorize. But that doesn't seem very   
   > good.   
   >   
   > I didn't see anything in reading RFC 2617, but maybe I missed   
   > something.   
      
   It seems to me that this is just bad web site design.  How would anyone   
   ever see the user-specific stuff if the site doesn't request   
   authentication?   
      
   --   
   Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu   
   Arlington, MA   
   *** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***   
      
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