[solarkraft]

> I’m wondering if the design space for new protocols should really be constrained to layers on top of HTTP.

Absolutely yes, IMO. This significantly eases web client development.

[lxgr]

Not being tied to well-known port numbers, and by extension a single service per IP address, is also great.

[solarkraft]

You can run HTTPS on any port.

[lxgr]

My argument was in favor of layering protocols on top of HTTP(S), which allows hosting an unlimited number of instances of servers for the same protocol on the same IP without having to somehow agree on using a non-standard port.