Oh, you mean like SOAP or XML-RPC? Yes, I would prefer using HTTP as a protocol over using those any day.
Sarcasm aside, I don't see exactly what HTTP buys you over establishing a TCP connection to the server and talking to it directly. Points one and two, check. If your favorite language can talk HTTP, it can talk over TCP.
Besides, in a URL like http://foo/bar?v1=x&v2=y&v3=z is in itself a type of protocol, namely the name/value pairs. Sure, I know HTTP and can debug problems at THAT level, but what about at the higher level? There's still a protocol (oh, I forgot that v4 is mandatory when calling bar, but optional when calling baz).
Sarcasm aside, I don't see exactly what HTTP buys you over establishing a TCP connection to the server and talking to it directly. Points one and two, check. If your favorite language can talk HTTP, it can talk over TCP.
Besides, in a URL like http://foo/bar?v1=x&v2=y&v3=z is in itself a type of protocol, namely the name/value pairs. Sure, I know HTTP and can debug problems at THAT level, but what about at the higher level? There's still a protocol (oh, I forgot that v4 is mandatory when calling bar, but optional when calling baz).