From: pier_atc@hotmail.com (JP Deckers)
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser
Subject: Bug: IE6 on XP not using ETag-headers on gzip-encoded content.
Message-ID: <4d0788e.0304240912.231526c5@posting.google.com>

Bug report:
IE6 (IE 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.021108-1929) on XP does NOT send ETag headers back
in the IF_NONE_MATCH-header, when using gzipped content encoding.

This widely reduces the use of ETag-headers, as 
many sites (incl. sites as yahoo.com) nowadays send gzipped content.

Proof of concept:
-- sample php ---
<?
        ob_start("ob_gzhandler");
        header("ETag: ".time());
?>
<?= time() ?><br>
And the IF_NONE_MATCH is set to: <?= $_SERVER["HTTP_IF_NONE_MATCH"] ?>
<pre>
<?
        $array = apache_request_headers();
        foreach($array as $key=>$value)
        {
                echo "$key : $value\n";
        }
?>
---

* Using IE 6.0.2800.1106.xpsp2.021108-1929, subsequent requests have
the IF_NONE_MATCH-header NOT set!

Tested with other browsers:
* Use mozilla-based browser, we get the IF_NONE_MATCH back as set on
the second request.
* Using IE 6.0.2800.1106 on Win2K server DOES send set header back

Can anyone confirm this ?

Best,
Jean-Pierre Deckers
-- 
jpATjpcacheDOTcom, http://www.jpcache.com/