[whatwg] W3C restarts HTML effort

[Dan Brickley]

Ian Hickson wrote:
> The W3C today publicly announced that they are restarting an HTML 
> specification effort.
> 
>    http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease
> 
> This is great news and a clear validation of the WHATWG effort, which has 
> been leading the maintenance and development of HTML since 2004. I'd like 
> to congratulate everyone who has been involved in the WHATWG work, this 
> really confirms that we have been doing good work.
> 
> Surprisingly, the W3C never actually contacted the WHATWG during the 
> chartering process. However, the WHATWG model has clearly had some 
> influence on the creation of this group, and the charter says that the W3C 
> will try to "actively pursue convergence with WHATWG":
> 
>    http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html#conformance
> 
> Hopefully they will get in contact soon. In the meantime, apparently 
> anyone can actually join the W3C effort.
> 
>    http://www.w3.org/2004/01/pp-impl/40318/instructions
> 
> The instructions to join the group are as follows:
> 
> 1. Fill in the Public Access Request Form; in the "Reason" field, put: "To 
> apply for participation in the HTML Working Group as an Invited Expert."
> 
>    http://cgi.w3.org/MemberAccess/Public
> 
> 2. When you get a reply back, you should have a username and password. 
> Fill in the W3C Invited Expert Application form.
> 
>    http://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/1/ieapp/
> 
> 3. E-mail Dan Connolly and Karl Dubost (connolly at w3.org, karl at w3.org) 
> asking for approval.
> 
> 4. When you get a reply back, fill in the Joining the HTML Working Group 
> form.
> 
>    http://www.w3.org/2004/01/pp-impl/40318/join
> 
> I would encourage everyone interested in working with the HTML working 
> group to go through these steps as soon as possible, so that you will be a 
> member of the group before the work starts.
> 
> I have also posted a WHATWG blog entry with this information:
> 
>    http://blog.whatwg.org/w3c-restarts-html-effort
> 
> Cheers,

The charter page also notes

"""The HTML Working Group also welcomes participation from non-Members. 
This may take the form of questions and comments on the mailing list or 
IRC channel, for which there is no formal requirement, or technical 
submissions for consideration, for which the participant must agree to 
Royalty-Free licensing under the W3C Patent Policy."""
--  http://www.w3.org/2007/03/HTML-WG-charter.html#participation

...also """This group primarily conducts its technical work on a Public 
mailing list""".

In other words, there's a participation level below full WG membership, 
but acknowledged in the charter. It may suit some folk here. Great to 
have the WG discussions in the public record too. Easier to find, easier 
to link to, etc.  This is a very healthy level of openness. Good for 
W3C, good for the Web...

cheers,

Dan