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

0ffice Program

As of last month: 16 offices: CSIRO, CWI, BUAA, DMI, FhG, Forth, HKUST, SZTAKI, CDAC, CNR, HUJI, CTIC, ETRI, EMI, SICS, CCLRC

Roles/Benefits of the Offices

• Internationalization of W3C, being truly worldwide
• Increasing membership in the region, better participation and transfer of knowledge from/about the region to W3C
• Raising W3C awareness in the region, through appearances, events organized by Offices
• Regional networking, especially with governmental agencies, eGov advocates
• Improving press contacts, local education and dissemination of our results

and Keeping the program under control, human and scalable.

Meraka

• Welcome to our new Office at the Meraka Institute, CSIR, South Africa.
  
• Same goals
  • facilitate economic and social development
  • leverage international science and technology collaboration
  • establish global links to contribute to and take advantage of international efforts in redressing the Digital Divide.

Roadmap

Existing offices creation years + some potential candidates.

2010 ?