Every time you click on a link and your web browser requests a resource (page, image, video or music file, or any other possible link destination) from a web server, there is a certain amount of information passed back and forth between the server and the browser as the transmission is started. One of those pieces of information is the HTTP Status Code.
If everything is working correctly, the status code sent from the server to the browser is ‘200 OK’, after which the requested information begins to be transmitted. If something doesn’t work for one reason or another, there are various possible responses, the most infamous of which is ‘404 Not Found’, returned when the requested resource doesn’t exist on the server anymore.
Recently, ThinkGeek started selling HTTPanties — a set of panties with either ‘200 OK’ or ‘403 Forbidden’ emblazoned across the front. Cute idea.
CodePoetry decided this wasn’t enough, though…
Nothing says lovin’ like 200 OK I suppose. Of course, beyond that and 403 Forbidden lie a whole world of wonderful responses that would be useful at times…
- 300 Multiple Choices for the creative.
- 301 Moved Permanently for the formerly-masculine.
- 305 Use Proxy for the adventurer.
- 307 Temporary Redirect for various reasons.
- 401 Unauthorized for the stranger.
- 402 Payment Required for … yeah.
- 404 Not Found for the unfortunate.
- 405 Method Not Allowed — I’m not going there.
- 406 Not Acceptable explains itself.
- 407 Proxy Authentication Required for the underage.
- 408 Request Timeout for the extended foreplay.
- 409 Conflict for the tired. (“The request could not be completed due to a conflict with the current state of the resource.”)
- 410 Gone — Not going there.
- 411 Length Required describes itself nicely.
- 413 Request Entity Too Large does the same.
- 415 Unsupported Media Type will not be discussed.
- 416 Requested Range Not Satisfiable suffers a similar fate.
- 417 Expectation Failed — this is getting bad, quick.
- 502 Service Temporarily Overloaded for those that didn’t leave 3-way to the phone companies.
- 503 Service Unavailable for the married and boring.
Works for me!
iTunes: “Snakes” by Voltaire from the album Devil’s Bris, The (1998, 4:10).