KUMEL'S NOTE

Socks is a generic proxy protocol for TCP/IP-based networking applications, the socks protocol provides a flexible framework for developing secure comunications by easily integrating other security technologies. When an application client need to connect to an application server, the client mechine connect to a socks proxy server. The proxy server connect to application server on behalf of th client, and relays data between the client and the application server. For the application server, the proxy server is the client.
Meanwhile of http's work, when a web browser initiates a request to a server, typical by openning a TCP/IP connection. The request it self comprises : a request line, a set of request headers, and an entity. And than the server sends a response that comprises : a status line, a set of response headers, and an entity. The entity in the request or response can be though of simply as the payload which may be binnary data. The other items are readable ascii characters. When the response has been completed, either the browser or the server may terminate the TCP/IP connections, or the browser can send another request.
References :
http://www.infosecwriters.com/text_resources/pdf/what_is_socks.pdf
http://www.silicon-press.com/briefs/brief.http/brief.pdf