Re: [Agenda] W3C Credentials CG Call Tues, Aug 10, 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm GMT, 6pm CET / 6AM+1 NZDT

RE: As tax payers, we've had our representatives pass laws that require funding
disclosures when public sector money is used to fund research, standards, etc.
(because tax payers like to know where their money is going and most
governments like to be transparent about what they're funding) ...

"As tax payers" is an interesting and confusing/conflating term Manu. ...of course, you really mean "As American tax payers" correct? I'm not American; I don't live in the US. Ditto for many members/contributors. For many members of the W3C, the USA is a foreign government and DHS is a foreign entity.

Second, the W3C is not an American organization, Quoting from W3C.org...
Where is W3C located?

W3C does not have a single physical headquarters. There are four institutions that "host" W3C: MIT (in Cambridge, MA, USA), ERCIM (in Sophia-Antipolis, France), Keio University (near Tokyo, Japan), and Beihang University (in Beijing, China).

The W3C staff<https://www.w3.org/People/> is distributed around the world, but there are concentrations of people in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), Sophia-Antipolis (France), Tokyo (Japan) and Beijing (China). In addition, W3C is represented by W3C Evangelists<https://www.w3.org/Consortium/evangelists/> or W3C Chapters<https://chapters.w3.org/directory/> in various locations.

Third, Manu, I believe you're conflating the concepts of DHS funding your company's (and other companies') project work for DHS with community-based development of W3C specifications. (If they are the same, you sounds more like paid lobbying on DHS's part...a stronger than necessary term perhaps but it makes my point.) Like the IPR requirements/conditions, IMO, contributions to W3C specifications should not be paid for directly/indirectly/wholely/partly by foreign government entities like DHS. It simply shouldn't be allowed. If attribution is required by DHS on a DHS partner, this incumberance is between DHS and that partner IMO. The W3C community isn't/shouldn't, by extension, be incumbered by a private contract between DHS (or any governmental agency) and one or more of its partners ... IMO.

Michael


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________________________________
From: Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com>
Sent: Saturday, August 7, 2021 3:58:28 PM
To: public-credentials@w3.org <public-credentials@w3.org>
Subject: Re: [Agenda] W3C Credentials CG Call Tues, Aug 10, 9am PT, 12pm ET, 5pm GMT, 6pm CET / 6AM+1 NZDT

On 8/7/21 12:14 AM, Michael Herman (Trusted Digital Web) wrote:
> 3. Also, why, in the VC HTTP protocol specification, is attribution given
> to specific organizations like DHS for partially funding the development of
> the VC HTTP specification? Why isn't my company and everyone else's company
> also mentioned? ...more clichism? IMO, all references to DHS wrt funding or
> sponsorship need to be removed from all W3C specifications.

One of those classes of funding is tax payer money (public sector), the other
isn't (private sector).

As tax payers, we've had our representatives pass laws that require funding
disclosures when public sector money is used to fund research, standards, etc.
(because tax payers like to know where their money is going and most
governments like to be transparent about what they're funding):

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/disclosure-of-funding-sources

A simple Google search will surface more rationale behind the practice.

Note that citing public funding sources is the norm and it's not just US
government that does it; almost every modern government has similar requirements.

-- manu

--
Manu Sporny - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manusporny/
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
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