Tim Berners-Lee于1998年发表了题为《冷静的URI不会改变》的文章，阐述了网址设计的核心原则[1]。他认为URI的变化主要源于人为决策而非技术必然性，并提出了"冷静的URI是那些不会改变的URI"这一核心主张[1]。
文章详细分析了导致链接失效的常见原因，并建议避免在URI中包含易变的信息，如技术实现细节（如"cgi-bin"）、组织结构变化和话题分类等[1]。相反，创建日期应成为URI中的稳定标识符[1]。文章举例对比了设计良好的URI（如http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9814/nsf9814.htm）与设计不当的URI（如http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/pubsys/browser/odbrowse.pl）[1]。
Berners-Lee为网站管理员指出了职责所在："网站管理员的责任是分配那些在两年、二十年甚至两百年后仍然能够坚守的URI"[1]。文章还通过实际案例说明问题的严重性，如whdg.com学校的停课页面在2000年更改了URI结构，导致之前指向该页面的所有链接随之失效[1]。
Tim Berners-Lee published a foundational article in 1998 establishing principles for designing web addresses that remain stable over time. [1] The core argument centered on a simple proposition: "A cool URI is one which does not change." [1] Berners-Lee emphasized that URI instability results from human design decisions rather than technical constraints, identifying common sources of link decay such as the inclusion of implementation details (like "cgi-bin"), organizational structures, or topic classifications within web addresses. [1]
The article provided concrete guidance on constructing durable URIs, recommending the incorporation of creation dates as stable identifiers while avoiding ephemeral information. [1] To illustrate the distinction, Berners-Lee contrasted a well-designed address—http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1998/nsf9814/nsf9814.htm—with a poorly structured alternative—http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/pubsys/browser/odbrowse.pl. [1] Berners-Lee articulated a responsibility for web administrators, stating: "It is the duty of a Webmaster to allocate URIs which you will be able to stand by in 2 years, in 20 years, in 200 years." [1] The practical consequences of disregarding this principle were demonstrated by the case of whdg.com's school closure announcement page, whose URI structure changed in 2000, rendering previously published links obsolete. [1]