Identify gaps that make the Web a less compelling platform
Identify unique strengths of the Web
Define plans to reduce the gap
Define plans to further benefit from the Web strengths
Out of scope
Handled in other headlight projects:
Performance considerations
Payments
Task force
~20 participants
WG Chairs, TAG, Staff, …
Many thanks to Marcos Caceres, Tobie Langel, Robin Berjon, Scott Jenson, Chaals, Jo Rabin, Alex Russell, Wayne Carr, Dan Appelquist, Jonas Sicking, Virginie Galindo, Frederick Hirsch, Brian Leroux, Art Barstow, Doug Schepers
Plenty of discussions with developers, analysts, etc
What’s a Web App?
Quite a few discussions around the concept of Web app
Early draft of a landscape document highlighting the various types of Web apps out there
Topics
Support for off-line
Network optimizations
Security
Development environment
Discovery and monetization
(prioritization still to be done)
Offline
Critical need on mobile
Existing solution: HTML5 ApplicationCache — “not so great”
Two proposals under development
Quota management also important
Suggestion: dedicated staff resources to accelerate development and outreach
Handling large uploads/downloads
Mobile network conditions vary a lot
Ability to upload/download large amount of data critical
Currently only possible while given Web app is running
new Web Perf WG has related work item (beacon API)
Suggestion: put on high priority list for mobile with dedicated staff resources
Responsive Images
Great variety of screen resolutions
Hard to make efficient download of images adapted to resolution
Existing work in HTML Working Group (<picture>, srcset)
Suggestion: increase priority of that work; workshop to align views on the topic?
Delta updates
Web apps text-based formats enable delta updates
But no technical support for this today
Complex relationship to cache and fetch operations
Suggestion: start work after offline work gets ready
“Push” API
Native apps can be waken up via notifications coming from the network
Existing work in Web Apps Working Group (but with PAG)
Suggestion: increase priority
Security
Keys and certificates management
Access to secure storage
Access to secure element / trusted execution environment
User identity management
application revokation / blacklisting
Suggestion: Task Force in Web Security IG?
Developers feedback
Not all our specs are glaring success among developers
Developers find it hard to get their input heard
Existing efforts in WebPlatform.org
Recent new focus of TAG
Suggestion:
Bug report squad
investigate more formal representation?
survey?
Developer tools
Developer tools for Web years behind what's available in native environment
E.g. in memory management, debugging, …
Web Performance Working Group, Browser Testing and Tools Working Group
Difference between APIs running in end-users browsers vs in developers browsers
Suggestion: push diagnostic API proposal?
Data-based spec development
Increased efforts in W3C groups to inform spec development on deployed usage patterns
But data currently either private, or hard to use in that goal
In particular, very hard to get data specific to mobile usage
Suggestion: put staff resources in establishing proper data collection/analysis system
Most-Wanted List
Specs identified as particularly important for mobile
Work with chairs, staffs of relevant group
Document existing obstacles, possible contributions
Include in Staff strategic management of standards
Dedicate developer relationship staff resources for outreach
Orphan topics
Discussed as important, but without clear plans at this point:
Searching Web apps
Discovery of context-relevant Web apps
Web apps as functional components
Multi-devices user experiences
Web & Mobile Interest Group
Follow up to Core Mob Community Group (started in Feb 2012 by Facebook)
