Temporary Solutions Are Not Always Temporary?

A Lesson from the HTTP Referer, or How the incorporation of Internet Standards can offer invaluable insights into the lasting impacts of errors in design and architecture

Let me tell you a story about one of the funniest mishaps in tech history. Picture this: It's the early '90s, and the World Wide Web is just taking baby steps. Developers were working around the clock, fueled by passion, caffeine, and perhaps the occasional pizza.

Enter the “Referrer” HTTP header. Its job? To tell a webpage where its visitors are coming …