News Release: W3C Relaunches HTML Activity

Today, based on tremendous input from the design and developer  
communities as well as browser vendors, W3C begins work anew on HTML.  
This work begins with a revisit of the last standardized version,  
HTML4, completed 10 years ago.

"HTML started simply, with structured markup, no licensing  
requirements, and the ability to link to anything. More than  
anything, this simplicity and openness has led to its tremendous and  
continued success," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and  
inventor of HTML. "It's time to revisit the standard and see what we  
can do to meet the current community needs, and to do so effectively  
with commitments from browser manufacturers in a visible and open way."

For more information, please contact Janet Daly of W3C +1 617 253  
5884 <janet@w3.org> or the W3C Communications Team representative in  
your region.


W3C Relaunches HTML Activity
Developers and Browser Vendors Shape HTML Future

Web Resources
	This press release
		In English: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.en
		In French: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.fr
		In Japanese: http://www.w3.org/2007/03/html-pressrelease.html.ja

	HTML Activity
		http://www.w3.org/html/

	HTML Working Group
		http://www.w3.org/html/wg/

	HTML Vision Document - a technical background on the decisions  
leading to today's announcement
		http://www.w3.org/2007/03/vision
	
http://www.w3.org/ -- 7 March 2007 -- Recognizing the importance of  
an open forum for the development of the predominant Web content  
technology, W3C today invites browser vendors, application  
developers, and content designers to help design the next version of  
HTML by participating in the new W3C HTML Working Group. Based on  
significant input from the design and developer communities within  
and outside the W3C Membership, W3C has chartered the group to  
conduct its work in public and to solicit broad participation from  
W3C Members and non-Members alike.

"HTML started simply, with structured markup, no licensing  
requirements, and the ability to link to anything. More than  
anything, this simplicity and openness has led to its tremendous and  
continued success," explained Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and  
inventor of HTML. "It's time to revisit the standard and see what we  
can do to meet the current community needs, and to do so effectively  
with commitments from browser manufacturers in a visible and open way."

The Evolution of HTML

After the publication of HTML 4, and following a 1998 Workshop, W3C  
set forth to turn HTML into an XML-based format, called XHTML, due to  
the benefits of XML formats. The first XHTML Recommendation was  
issued in early 2000. But due to the significant legacy of Web  
content that is some variant of HTML, traditional browser vendors  
moved slowly to adopt XHTML. This, in turn, has meant little  
motivation for content developers to adopt XHTML for the traditional  
desktop environment. Leaders in the Web developer and design  
communities therefore urged W3C to renew its commitment to HTML by  
adding new features (starting with the HTML 4 standard) in a manner  
that is consistent with community practice and backward compatible.   
W3C will help ensure interoperability by making robust test suites  
and validation services available to the community for future  
technologies.

W3C is pleased to relaunch work on HTML with strong support from its  
Members and more staff resources (including people and hardware). W3C  
has tailored the HTML Working Group Charter to enable active  
participation from browser vendors, applications designers, and  
content developers, whose joint participation is key to the success  
of the future HTML.

The Value of XHTML

XHTML has proved valuable in other markets, including the market for  
mobile devices, in enterprise applications, on the server-side, and  
in an increasing number of Web applications such as blogging  
software. For example, the Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group  
has included XHTML 1.0 Basic as a cornerstone of the Mobile Web Best  
Practices because software running in less memory can support it. The  
markets for XML content are significant and growing, so W3C will  
define an XML syntax for the new HTML in addition to the classic HTML  
syntax.

One of the design aims for XHTML 2.0 has been to keep it as generic  
as possible, reusing applicable XML standards, including XForms, XML  
Base, and XML Events, instead of HTML features that served similar  
purposes. Those design choices have led to XHTML 2.0 having an  
identity distinct from HTML. With the chartering of the XHTML 2  
Working Group, W3C will continue its technical work on the language  
at the same time it considers rebranding the technology to clarify  
its independence and value in the marketplace.

In addition to the new HTML and XHTML 2 Working Groups, W3C is also  
pleased to recharter the HTML Coordination Group and charter the  
Forms Working Group. The Forms Working Group will continue work on  
the XForms architecture, which has seen significant adoption in a  
variety of platforms.

Contact Americas, Australia --
     Janet Daly, <janet@w3.org>, +1.617.253.5884 or +1.617.253.2613
Contact Europe, Africa and the Middle East-
     Marie-Claire Forgue, <mcf@w3.org>, +33.492.38.75.94
Contact Asia --
     Yasuyuki Hirakawa <chibao@w3.org>, +81.466.49.1170

About the World Wide Web Consortium [W3C]

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium  
where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work  
together to develop Web standards. W3C primarily pursues its mission  
through the creation of Web standards and guidelines designed to  
ensure long-term growth for the Web. Over 400 organizations are  
Members of the Consortium. W3C is jointly run by the MIT Computer  
Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) in the  
USA, the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics  
(ERCIM) headquartered in France and Keio University in Japan,and has  
additional Offices worldwide. For more information see http:// 
www.w3.org/

Received on Wednesday, 7 March 2007 15:01:21 UTC