Re: Revised Charter Proposal - Feedback by Oct 26

> On Oct 20, 2016, at 11:35 AM, John Simpson <john@consumerwatchdog.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Admittedly, I’ve more or less dropped out of the W3C process, but I still get the emails.  I must say it seems very strange to me to have a standard that specifies how to send a DNT message (TPE), but to have nothing about how you’re supposed to comply when you get one (TCS).

For networking protocols, it is normal for a standard to tell us how to communicate,
rather than what must be communicated. In fact, I'd say that all of the protocols
that tell people what they must do have failed miserably (even in the real world),
whereas protocols that frame any communication so that both parties can understand
each other have been successful.  That is certainly the case for IP, TCP, HTTP, etc.

For example, courtroom protocol in the US is usually very formal, with opportunities
to exchange key terms like "guilty" or "not guilty", and a certain order to the
proceedings, but no hint of what compliance might mean because that would be
specific to each case, region, and applicable laws.

The TPE can stand alone as a communication protocol because it assumes that people
will eventually have a common set of key terms to communicate compliance (as
expressed in the compliance array). The people who want to communicate will be
the ones who motivate the establishment of common terms.  We only frame the
communication.

Governments have the power to legislate, which is essentially the power to tell
people what to do (or not do). In our parts of the world, that power is only
given to those who are elected representatives of the people.  I think this
working group spent a great deal of time off the rails because it was trying
to legislate without any power to do so.  If we can create a technical framework
in which to communicate, I am sure that the folks with real power will eventually
figure out what exactly they want communicated.

Cheers,

....Roy

Received on Friday, 21 October 2016 18:22:39 UTC