This isn't necessary. I mean the W3C, that is. This patent hoopla raises legitimate issues about the viability of the W3C

It seems to have been established that there is no need for patents at this
point in time.  It also remains to be seen whether web standards will ever
become so very complex that patented technologies are required for the
development of future standards.  At the very least, it is obvious that RAND
is jumping the gun and has not fully explored patent-free alternatives.

It seems to have been established that this is a policy being spearheaded by
some of the largest corporations in America.  It is evident that this policy
will serve those large corporations to the necessary exclusion of smaller
businesses and individual users.

It seems to have been established that business has an undue amount of
influence over the W3C.

Therefore, I call for a thorough examination of the current status of the
W3C:
- Could a more open organization be viable in today's climate?  From my
understanding of the IETF, it appears that a more open organization can
satisfy the needs of very large corporations (Cisco) and ordinary users
(Anyone can sign up).  I realize that the function of the W3C is inherently
different.  However, some aspects of the W3C could become more open.  For
example, read-only access could be granted during the development stages of
W3C proposals - stages that are now closed to public observation.
- Is this cause for discarding the W3C and setting up a secondary, less
corporate, organization to take its place?  Yes, in some cases.  I have lost
faith in the ability of the W3C to represent the interests of users and
small developers.  As such, I will no longer display any of the W3C logos
like that for the WAI, or the valid CSS/XHTML buttons.  In addition to
attempting to distance myself from the organization itself as much as
possible, I will also re-evaluate my commitment to producing pages based on
W3C standards and instead look to producing pages that work on the largest
number of existing browsers.

I have lost faith in the W3C, an organization that I once trusted
implicitly.  I believe that visions such as that for the Semantic Web have
been dishonoured and that the stated goals of the W3C have now been
compromised.

Oh, and did I mention that I'm a high school student?  Did I mention that
I've been teaching fellow students about how to make standards-compliant web
sites?  Well, even at my age, I've become disillusioned with this
organization.  They have lost my support.  But more importantly, TBL has
last my respect.

Received on Sunday, 30 September 2001 15:59:58 UTC