query strings - use row ids or human readable values?

Question

I'm building a form and I wonder if there is a significant advantage in showing values in a more human readable format; e.g:

index.php?user=ted&location=newyork

Rather than:

index.php?user=23423&location=34645

On the one hand, having the query string a little more readable allows the user and search engines to better understand where they are, but this also creates a little more work on the server side, as I'll have to track down the associated rows through something other than their unique id.

For example, first find what the id of 'newyork' is before being able to work on other rows that require the location_id. I always prefer to give the db as little work as possible.

Edit: decided to go with readability. I figure I can always use the mysql query cache to speed things up if necessary.

Answer 1

Use human readable values when you can. Just be sure to sanitise the input.

Edit: Yes, this can and should still be done for SEO purposes (if its worth it to you) if you have lots of choices. Even if the user has lots of choices, you should know what they are (or what the limits are) so that you can properly sanitise the input. For instance, if they are choosing states, you can know all 50. If they are just making up their own text, make sure on your end that its only text.