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Organize a Recommendation Track Transition (Details)

This Guidebook is the collected wisdom of the W3C Group Chairs and other collaborators.

This document explains the processes W3C uses internally to prepare and carry out a transition of a document on the Recommendation Track. This document complements the version of "How to Organize a Recommendation Track Transition" identified with this URI: <http://www.w3.org/2005/08/transition>. Please refer to the latest version of "How to Organize a Recommendation Track Transition" with this URI: <http://www.w3.org/Guide/transitions>.

This document does not address:

1. Requirements for documents themselves; see Technical Report Publication Policy ("pubrules") for this information. See also a glossary of terms related to publications.
2. What required information must be public; this is covered in section 7.2 of the Process Document and in the governing patent policy.
3. Possible next steps after each transition; see the description of the Recommendation Track Process.
4. Team-only processes (e.g., for securing approval to publish), which are discussed in Team Processes for TR Publications
5. The Comm Team's policy regarding in-place modification of W3C Technical Reports.

Exceptions to these processes MAY be authorized by the Director or authorized proxy.

The key words MUST, MUST NOT, REQUIRED, SHALL, SHALL NOT, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, RECOMMENDED, MAY, and OPTIONAL are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.

Please refer to the latest version of the current document with this URI: <http://www.w3.org/Guide/transitions-about>.

Roles

• The Webmaster publishes documents.
• The Director may assign Director responsibilities to other Team members. Quite often the CEO takes on the Director responsibilities for these processes.
• Chair responsibilities may be carried out by either the Chair or Team Contact.
• The Document Contact is either the Team Contact of the group requesting publication, or the document editor. Consult the W3C Head of Communications if you're not sure who is the relevant Document Contact.

See also the W3C Editor's Home Page and Guidebook documentation of roles of W3C participants, including the Chair's role and the Team Contact's role.

Interactions with the W3C Communications Team

At various stages during the Recommendation Track process, the W3C Communications Team assists Working Groups as follows:

• Organizing formal Advisory Committee reviews (including scheduling and preparation of review forms).
• Issuing a press release around a First Public Working Draft, Candidate Recommendation, Recommendation, or other transition (for example, to announce completion of important work or to raise awareness a conference). The Communications Team generally begins work on a draft press release several weeks in advance of an anticipated release, soliciting review within the Team (Domain Lead, Activity Lead, Team Contact, and other interested parties). The Communications Team may also request Working Group review of a draft press release. In general, the Communications Team strives to make press releases available in English, French, and Japanese. The W3C Offices translate W3C press releases into additional languages.
• Soliciting testimonials in support of a document, usually more than a month in advance of publication of a Recommendation.
• Announcing publication to Members and the press.
• Listing the publication on the W3C home page and in Member publications. In general, the Communications Team drafts home page announcements for publications (see past news items). Input from Team Contacts for announcements of First Public Working Drafts is appreciated.
• Writing speaking points for the press, generally with input from the Working Group.
• Coordinating spokespeople to answer technical questions from the press.

Please contact the Communications Team at w3t-comm@w3.org (cc'ing the group's Team Contact) if you have any general questions regarding the publications process.

History of "How to Organize a Transition"

20060131: Revised for release with pubrules. Released 31 January 2006 but created in August 2005.

20031201: Version sent for review with 24 Dec 2003 Process Document.

20030501: Version published with June 2003 Process Document.