4

seems to have a sligthtly bigger usage preference over , most questions are tagged with both. By the way, I'd prefer to be synonym to , not the opposite.

EDIT:

My point is that Apache is more that just the http server sub-project; would be a better tag. Yet, using httpd for lighttpd or other web-servers, for historical reasons, would just be confusing, as lighttpd executable daemon is not even called httpd. Would you tolerate the httpd tag for IIs on ServerFault?

2
  • 1
    As per derobert's answer we should really get rid of httpd completely (as synonymous with webserver, which is less ambiguous) and then give various web server's their own tag. This way, the apache tag can be also be used to cover the scope of the the project, and webserver added for specificity where appropriate.
    – goldilocks
    Apr 6 '14 at 13:43
  • Based on the answers below, I've gone through and re-tagged all of the [httpd]-tagged questions with either [apache-httpd] or, if generically-appropriate, [webserver]. Should we enforce the separation by blacklisting [httpd]?
    – Jeff Schaller Mod
    May 16 '16 at 1:59
7

Apache isn't the only httpd, and looking through that tag I indeed saw another httpd (lighttpd) on the first page...

Seems like maybe we should just get rid of entirely.

Questions about Apache get ; ones about lighttpd would get ; etc.

If we want a generic tag, would be much clearer, already exists, and is more popular.

7
  • +1 For recommending we split httpd up. Although I presume apache is the only thing to use this as an in-path executable name, Wikipedia actually lists 10 different servers as possibilities.
    – goldilocks
    Apr 5 '14 at 15:45
  • apache is not the only httpd, but also, it is not only httpd, a lot more. editing my answer
    – guido
    Apr 6 '14 at 9:03
  • 1
    @guido if you want to additionally retag almost all of the Apache HTTP Server questions apache-httpd, that seems like it should be a different question...
    – derobert
    Apr 6 '14 at 16:32
  • @derobert yep we can discuss here then we can close and make a new one eventually, thats why I included the question mark in the question title in the first instance :). By the way, i like the webserver tag proposition, but that leaves open the issue of httpd / apache tags. Are you proposing of making httpd a synonym for webserver, then having people to specify the implementation in another tag like apache-httpd (or just apache), lighttpd and so on?
    – guido
    Apr 7 '14 at 2:26
  • @guido I propose we get rid of the httpd tag.
    – derobert
    Apr 7 '14 at 2:32
  • 1
    +1. BURNIATE IT!
    – strugee
    Apr 7 '14 at 3:19
  • Agree w/ you except that we should probably use apache-http or apache-httpd instead and use apache for apache software & foundation related Q's.
    – slm Mod
    Apr 7 '14 at 11:37
4

Keep an open mind. Just because you know of only one type of HTTP server doesn't mean it's the only one. Take a look at all the HTTP servers available in this list via Wikipedia:

There are more than this and often servers just as Jetty, JBOSS, Tomcat, and many others can be dual purposed to serve static content as a HTTP server as well as serve as an application server.

List via wikipedia

   ss #1

EDIT #1

With your edit I think your point is that Apache (the tag) could be associated with both the HTTPD server and the overarching project + the Apache Software Foundation.

I think part of the confusion is that most people associate the with the HTTP web server sub-project vs. anything else. For example I think most people would be surprised that Tomcat (another subject) is in fact called Apache Tomcat.

I think part of the confusion stems from Ubuntu (assuming Debian does the same) packages the HTTP server with an executable called apache2.

What to do?

I think I would be inclined to reorganize the tags so that is used as a tag for Apache related items (software, licensing, foundation), while and a synonym tag were used for actual HTTP server related items.

I dislike making a synonym for since it can span multiple pieces of software.

5
  • we could discuss if we can consider apache the original http daemon (from the NCSA ashes), i do, however this is not the point; the point here is exaclty the fact that today the term apache by itself means the foundation, and using it for the subproject (httpd) is not precise.
    – guido
    Apr 6 '14 at 9:09
  • @guido - see edits
    – slm Mod
    Apr 6 '14 at 13:35
  • I'm with you on everything but synonyming the httpd tag - IMHO, it's too ambiguous. I think we should blacklist it instead, as @derobert suggested, but we could add a note in the tag wiki that the asker probably meant apache-httpd.
    – strugee
    Apr 7 '14 at 3:24
  • Have you gone through apache to see how many questions are about Apache software other than the web server?
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Apr 7 '14 at 13:43
  • @Gilles Well, first page includes an Apache Tomcat question. So there are some.
    – derobert
    Apr 7 '14 at 14:11
3

Given the observations made by derobert and slm, we should use the tags

  • for questions about the web server of the Apache project;
  • other tags (e.g. ) for questions about a specific non-Apache web server;
  • for questions about web servers in general.

Since is overwhelmingly used to mean “Apache web server”, we should make this a synonym to a more clearly specific tag: . Since is a natural tag but a bit of a hodgepodge, we should make this a synonym of the more general tag (if we don't make it a synonym, either it'll end up recreated or people will misuse obtained through completion).

We need to get rid of the tags and . Most of the 388 questions are about Apache httpd, so we should track down the ones that aren't, then synonymize to .

There are 28 questions but only 13 that aren't also tagged apache. So the easiest course of action is to retag these 13 tags, then get rid of and re-create it as a synonym of .

Here's the course of action:

  1. (Community) Retag all 13 [httpd] -[apache] questions appropriately.
  2. (Community) Go through [apache] -[httpd] questions and retag the ones that aren't about the Apache web server.
  3. (Moderator) Merge and into , then remove the synonym and make a synonym of .
3
  • Although this dodges the OP's concern that "apache is more than just an httpd", so we need a general apache tag, I think that concern is really a non-issue; questions about "apache tomcat", etc. are fine with just tomcat. Also, questions about most of the apache software projects (ant, commons, etc.) don't belong here anyway. So ditching apache in favour of apache-httpd sounds good to me.
    – goldilocks
    Apr 7 '14 at 14:34
  • @TAFKA'goldilocks' Are there questions about Apache in general, as opposed to a specific Apache software? We could create a tag like apache-project if it's warranted.
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Apr 7 '14 at 14:40
  • I'm guessing there actually aren't, but maybe it's worth noting in case we (meaning: whoever) run across such a case when doing the re-tagging. apache-project would be better than just apache.
    – goldilocks
    Apr 7 '14 at 14:51

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