Comment by JimDabell

> Do we expect the embedded guys to grok HTTP/REST?

REST is irrelevant to this; HTTP alone covers the reason why this is bad. So ultimately, the question is: "Do we expect somebody designing an HTTP API to understand HTTP?" I think that's a reasonable expectation. If your embedded guys don't understand HTTP, then get somebody who does understand HTTP to design the API. They don't need embedded experience to do so, they aren't implementing it, just designing it. This isn't a difficult cross-functional intersection, you just don't assign tasks to people who aren't qualified to carry them out.