[thelist] Is server-side browser-sniffing a bad idea?

[Ben Gustafson]

> > From: "George Dillon  <> Evolt!" <evolt at georgedillon.com>
> [...]
> > I've read recently that using server-side browser-sniffing to keep
> > code lean by tailoring it for each browser's quirks is NOT 
> a good idea
> > because of web caches.  The undesirable scenario is that a web cache
> > stores the page designed for WinMSIE5 (e.g.) and then delivers THAT
> > verison when requested by a user with MacNN4... resulting 
> in a layout
> > mess for that particular user.
> > 
> > Is this a real issue or have I misunderstood how web caches work?
> > 
> > [Note: I am not talking about client browser caches but the server
> > caches created by some ISPs.]
> 
> this is absolutely a concern... think of proxies at large 
> organizations... they often cache pages, and depending on who 
> requested it, that's what you see...

I'm not sure if I follow how web caching would alter the HTTP User Agent string that a
browser sends to the Web server. Do all clients connecting via a proxy server identify
themselves as the first browser that requested the page they are requesting?

--Ben