Why do browsers not use SRV records?

Question

Why do browsers not use SRV records?

It seems like a minimal amount of work and it will make the server-side implementation of reliable websites much simpler.

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Answer 1

The RFC for SRV records specifies that it may not be used by pre-existing protocols which did not already specify the use of SRV records in their specifications. I.e. no SRV in the HTTP spec - browsers are, by the SRV standard, prohibited from using it.

This does not prohibit a new HTTP 1.2 standard from specifying the use of SRV records, though. However, Mark Andrews proposed this in April 2007 to the IETF HTTP working group, but got no response.