[no subject]

 This document updates and merges "Uniform Resource Locators" [RFC1738]
 and "Relative Uniform Resource Locators" [RFC1808] in order to define
 a single, generic syntax for all URI. It excludes those portions of
 RFC 1738 that defined the specific syntax of individual URL schemes ...

Seems you missed the second sentence. That's why 2396 is not obsoleting
1738 in a formal sense, it only update a part of 1738 and this part doesn't
include the definition of the FILE scheme.
  
> from a usability standpoint, i really enjoy not having to type 3 /s in a row 
> (even though konqi does let you do that too)

  It's a completely different problem, you should even be able to enter
/usr/local and have the software expand/remap to a valid URL. I don't use
Konqueror but I'm pretty sure Netscape does this, the goal is that once
entered the user is exposed to a valid URL. This should also include
escaping of reserved or forbiden characters, the goal is to provide
something correct for selection or drag and drop as well as teaching
the user.

Daniel

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