Changes

{{CompanyInfo|| logo            = W3Clogo.png

{{CompanyInfo|| logo            = W3Clogo.png

| type            =SDO  

| type            =SDO Non-for-profit

| industry        =Web Technologies  

| industry        =Web Technologies  

| founded        = 1994

| founded        = 1994

| purchase        =Non for profit

| purchase        =Non for profit

| ownership      =Jointly by  MIT, ERCIM, Keio University, Beihang University

| ownership      =Jointly by  MIT, ERCIM, Keio University, Beihang University

| headquarters    =W3C/MIT 32 Vassar Street<br>Room 32-G515<br>Cambridge, MA 02139

| headquarters    =W3C/MIT 32 Vassar Street<br>Room 32-386<br>Cambridge, MA 02139

| country        = USA, EU, JP, CH

| country        = USA <br/> Europe <br/> Japan <br/> China

| products        =Web Standards and Tools

| products        =Web Standards and Tools

| employees      =<100

| employees      =<100

| businesses      =Web standardization

| businesses      =Web standardization

| website        = [http://www.w3.org/ w3.org]

| website        = [http://www.w3.org/ w3.org]

| keypeople      =[[Jeffrey Jaffe]], CEO

| keypeople      =[[Tim Berners-Lee]], Director

 

[[Jeffrey Jaffe]], CEO

[[Daniel Dardailler]], Head of Liaisons

[[Daniel Dardailler]], Head of Liaisons

==Overview==

==Overview==

The W3C was founded in 1994 by [[Tim Berners-Lee]]. Its mission is to develop protocol and guidelines for the long-term growth of the Web, in order to bring out its fullest potential. The W3C facilitates participation, involvement, sharing knowledge, and building trust at a global level. It enjoys the support of many important industries and organizations. See the [https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List Membership list].

The W3C was founded in 1994 by [[Tim Berners-Lee]]. Its mission is to develop protocols and guidelines for the long-term growth of the Web, in order to bring out its fullest potential. The W3C facilitates participation, involvement, sharing of knowledge, and building trust at a global level. It enjoys the support of many important industries and organizations. See the [https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List Membership list].

==W3C Standards==

==W3C Standards==

W3C laid the foundations of the Web with the development of HTML in 1997 and XML in 1998.<ref>[http://xhtml.com/en/web-standards/what-is-w3c/ W3C standards]</ref> In addition, it co-developped http and the URL specifications with IETF.

First started as an IETF application area at the beginning of 1990, the Web standard stack, given its foreseen volume and applicative nature on top of the Internet protocols, quickly spun off its own forum. The W3C then laid the foundations of the Web with the development of HTML 4 and XML at the end of the last century. It still works closely with IETF today, on the HTTP or URL specifications and in other areas of common interest  (e.g. crypto, security, video).  

Since its creation, W3C has developed more than 350 [https://www.w3.org/TR/tr-status-stds Web Standards], which they refer to as ''"Recommendations."'' Each of these recommendations must pass through a set of stages which is known as the '''"Recommendation Track"'' which involves: review, reformulation, and finally implementation.<ref>[http://xhtml.com/en/web-standards/what-is-w3c/ W3C standard development]</ref>

Other well-known technologies developed by W3C include the WAI/WCAG guidelines for people with disabilities (largely adopted by governments and an ISO standard as well),  the Web Services stack or the Semantic Web/Linked Data activities.

Each recommendation was developed by working groups which consist of W3C members engineers and invited experts from the public who have experience in the applicable field.  

Since its creation, W3C has developed more than 350 [https://www.w3.org/TR/tr-status-stds Web Standards], which they refer to as ''"Recommendations."''  Each recommendation was developed by working groups that consist of W3C members engineers and invited experts from the public who have experience in the applicable field.

A recommendation is steered by a Working Group, and must pass through the several steps (also called maturity levels):

A recommendation is steered by a Working Group, and must pass through several steps (also called maturity levels):  

# Working Drafts, which are fluid works-in-progress published by Working Groups to gain input from the wider community. Public access is required every trimester if the group is not fully public already.

* Typically a series of '''Working Drafts''' are published, accessible to all, each of which refines a document under development

# Last Call for Working Draft, which notifies interested parties of the WG's intent to move the draft onto the next stage. It is a last call for external public input.

* Once review suggests the Working Group has met their requirements satisfactorily for a new standard, there is a '''Candidate Recommendation''' phase. This allows the W3C membership to provide feedback on whether the specification is appropriate as a W3C Recommendation, while the Working Group formally collects implementation experience to demonstrate that the specification works in practice.  

# Call for Implementation. At this point, the Working Draft becomes a Candidate for Recommendation, and is reviewed for implementation as a standard.

* The next phase is a '''Proposed Recommendation''', to finalize the review of W3C Members. If the Director determines that W3C Member review supports a specification becoming a standard, W3C publishes it as a '''Recommendation'''.

# Call for review of proposed recommendation. At this stage, the Candidate Recommendation becomes a Proposed Recommendation, and the WG must seek a final endorsement from the Committee. Without this endorsement, the project reverts back to the Working Draft stage for further development.

# W3C Recommendation. At this stage, the W3C feels confident enough to recommend that individuals and organizations implement standard technology in their work.

==W3C Organization==

==W3C Organization==

W3C does not have a typical organizational structure, nor is it incorporated.  

W3C does not have a typical organizational structure, nor is it incorporated.  

In administrative terms: W3C is administered via a joint agreement among these four "Host Institutions": MIT (in the USA), ERCIM (in France/EU), Keio University (in Japan), and Beihang University (in China). The W3C staff (many of whom work physically at one of these institutions) is led by a Director,  [[Tim Berners-Lee]], and a CEO. A small management team is responsible for resource allocation and strategic planning on behalf of the staff. Regional offices play an important role in W3C being an international organization.

In administrative terms: W3C is administered via a joint agreement among these four "Host Institutions": MIT (USA), ERCIM (France/EU), Keio University (Japan), and Beihang University (China). The W3C staff (many of whom work physically at one of these institutions) is led by a Director,  [[Tim Berners-Lee]], and a CEO. A small management team is responsible for resource allocation and strategic planning on behalf of the staff. Regional offices play an important role in W3C being an international organization.

In process terms: the [http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/ W3C Process Document] and a few others documents establish the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the making of W3C standards. Some key components of the organization are:

In process terms: the [http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/ W3C Process Document] and a few other documents establish the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the making of W3C standards. Some key components of the organization are:

* the Advisory Committee, composed of one representative from each W3C Member.  

* the Advisory Committee, composed of one representative from each W3C Member.  

* the Advisory Board, an advisory body elected by the Advisory Committee

* the Advisory Board (AB), an advisory body elected by the Advisory Committee

* the Technical Architecture Group (TAG), which primarily seeks to document Web Architecture principles

* the Technical Architecture Group (TAG), which primarily seeks to document Web Architecture principles

* the W3C Director and CEO, who assess consensus for W3C-wide decisions

* the W3C Director and CEO, who assess consensus for W3C-wide decisions

* the chartered groups, populated by Member representatives and invited experts, and which produce most of W3C's deliverables according to the steps of the W3C Process.

* the chartered groups, populated by Member representatives and invited experts, and which produce most of W3C's deliverables according to the steps of the W3C Process.

As of 2016, the W3C had 400 members.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List W3C member list]</ref> from various sectors and world regions. Iorder to become a W3C member an application must be submitted, which will be reviewed and approved by W3C. <ref>[http://www.w3.org/Consortium/membership-faq W3C Membership FAQ]</ref> In order to be accessible to a wide range of international organizations, W3C offers membership fees on a sliding scale dependent on annual revenue, type of business, and the location of the organization's headquarters.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/Consortium/fees W3C membership fees]</ref>

As of 2016, the W3C had 400 members.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List W3C member list]</ref> from various sectors and world regions. In order to be accessible to a wide range of international organizations, W3C offers membership fees on a sliding scale dependent on annual revenue, type of business, and the location of the organization's headquarters.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/Consortium/fees W3C membership fees]</ref>

 

==References==

==References==

[[Category: Organizations]]

[[Category: Organizations]]

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