AI
datasette #3046: Don't serve link: rel=next HTTP headers to Firefox for HTML pages
Publication: Simon Willison's Weblog
Author: Not available in collected metadata
Source published: 07/11/2026, 23:57:46 UTC
Briefing created: 08/11/2026, 00:13:43 UTC
Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 08/11/2026, 00:12:24 UTC.
Briefings
A Firefox bug has been open for 24 years where Datasette table pages incorrectly serve an HTTP 'rel=next' link header, causing unnecessary data prefetching and rendering. This feature was first identified in a 2002 blog post by the author, who had previously forgotten about it. The issue affects visitors who click the link, leading to wasted server resources and data retrieval.
Key points
- Firefox has a known bug open for 24 years where Datasette pages incorrectly serve an HTTP 'rel=next' link header, causing unnecessary data prefetching.
- The author had written about this feature in a 2002 blog post but had forgotten about it until recently.
Context
The issue affects users of the Datasette tool, a Python-based data exploration platform. The bug causes unnecessary HTTP requests and server overhead when users click the 'next' link in the network panel.
Limitations
The evidence is limited to a single blog post and a network panel observation. No quantitative impact data or user statistics are provided. The bug's long history (24 years) is noted but no specific resolution date is confirmed.
Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 08/11/2026, 00:13:43 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.
View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeifvfhcqes6xxmmgz322mwgahyftluskalmnfzfstsm63r7dq7nsti