W3C Exec Summary
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an International Consortium
where Member and External organizations, a full-time technical staff, and the
public work together to lead the World Wide Web to its full
potential by developing Web standards such as protocols and
guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web.
- Goals: Interoperability, Universality,
Functionalities
- Neutral/nonforprofit, consensus based, open
participation, open results
- ~450 members, ~70 staff,
- ~50 Working Groups ~20 Coordination Groups and Interest Groups
- Hosting: MIT (America), ERCIM (Europe) and Keio
University (Japan) + 17 Offices
- Advisory Board, Technical Architecture Group
- Liaisons with 40+ other standards
bodies, Accountable to the global Public
What Open Standards means ?
A lot of debates nowadays for a common definition of Open
Standards(IGF, EC, etc)
- Transparent process
- Open participation
- Technical Consensus
- Running code
- Free and Persistent Specification
- W3C Patent Policy for Web Technologies
W3C Standards Track
W3C Results
W3C Patent Policy
Director's Decision May 2003: The availability of an
interoperable, unencumbered Web infrastructure provides an expanding
foundation for innovative applications, profitable commerce, and the free
flow of information and ideas on a commercial and non-commercial basis.
Method:
- W3C Patent licensing definition
- Disclosure rules
- Exception Handling: Patent Advisory Group (PAG)
See the Business
Benefits position paper: Access, Protection, Transparency,
Flexibility.
Official Standard liaisons
With ISO/IEC/JTC1, ITU, ETSI/CEN, Nationals
- recent ISO ARO approval
- several ISO TC/W3C WG technical liaisons
- more and more national activities (ANSI, RGI, eGov)
- difficult for W3C to track all the policy development
- participation in UN/IGF Dynamic Coalition on Open Standards
- participation in ICTSB
See our Liaisons
page.
Web Accessibility Initiative - WAI
- Started in 1997
- Address all disabilities, but only for the Web platform
- 3 Guidelines WG: WCAG, ATAG,
UUAG
- Education & Outreach, Evaluation & Repair, Protocols &
Formats, Research & Dev
- How the components relate:
WAI participation
Working actively on WCAG2.0, Tools, Technologies (e.g. WAI-ARIA),
etc.
welcomes:
- participation from around the world, at all levels of commitment and
expertise
- volunteers to review, implement, and promote guidelines
- dedicated participants in Working Groups
Also active in tracking implementation of Public Policies related to Web
Accessibility.
