[wbs] response to 'Call for Review: Technology and Policy IG Charter'

The following answers have been successfully submitted to 'Call for Review:
Technology and Policy IG Charter' (Advisory Committee) for Electronic
Frontier Foundation by Cory Doctorow.


The reviewer's organization suggests changes to this Charter, and only
supports the proposal if the changes are adopted [Formal Objection].
The reviewer's organization:
   - intends to review drafts as they are published and send comments.
   - would be interested in participating in any press activity connected
with this group.


General comments:
   The Electronic Frontier Foundation strongly supports the idea of the W3C
taking a more active role in policy circles, and the idea of the W3C
considering the policy dimensions of its work.

However, we are concerned that an IG is not a good way of achieving
meaningful progress in either of these areas. Members who wish to scuttle
an IG project need only sit out its discussion, then declare their
objections to its conclusions, and thus take them off the table. This is a
recipe for an ineffectual and frustrating talking-shop.

However, the W3C does have a structure for an effective and independent
expert advisory body: the Technical Advisory Group.

We propose that the W3C should form a Policy Advisory Group whose structure
is modeled on the TAG. Reps would be elected from the membership at large;
the group would meet regularly and take up items suggested by its own
members and by WGs and IGs. The group would make policy recommendations to
the AC and WGs, and could place items on the agenda at meetings of other
bodies within the W3C. In other words, it wouldn't have the power to set
policy, but it could frame policy questions and recommendations regarding
them, and bring both to the wider W3C for discussion.


Answers to this questionnaire can be set and changed at
https://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/33280/TechPolig/ until 2016-05-31.

 Regards,

 The Automatic WBS Mailer

Received on Thursday, 26 May 2016 19:21:03 UTC