Re: Planning to close Multi-device Timing Community Group due to inactivity unless we hear from you

Hi Team Community Process, Multi-device CG, MEIG

The Team Community Process has noted the inactivity of the Multi-device
Timing Community Group, and suggests closing it.

With respect to publishing specifications, this group proposed a standard
back in 2015 for a common timing model for the Web platform. The conclusion
from this work was that, as a minimum, the HTML5 media element should have
support for precise playback by external media clock (e.g. timing object),
and that this would be hugely benefical for a variety of media applications.

Since then, to my knowledge, there has not been much interest from the W3C
Media Entertainment IG and associated industry partners in promoting this
initiative further.
As such, I expect no surge in activity, and I think the decision to close
group is correct - though I hope group contents will be available from
archive for reference.

I want to thank the members of the MTCG for their interest in this topic
and participation in the group.

To me, it was always puzzling, how the MEIG never took an interest in
addressing what seems (to me) as the most glaring weakness of the Web as a
multi-media platform -- that the platform does not provide its own
timing/playback model -- the fundamental characteristic of any media
system. I always thought extending the Web with a timing model would be a
transformative step forward for the Web, and not too complicated either.
Progress in this domain, though, will likely continue to be blunted as long
as the W3C does not push for HTML5 media elements to support precise
playback by external media clock.

Best regards,
Ingar Arntzen,
Chair, Multi-device Timing Community Group



man. 28. okt. 2024 kl. 19:06 skrev Team Community Process <
team-community-process@w3.org>:

> Dear participants in the
>
>    Multi-device Timing Community Group
>    https://www.w3.org/community/webtiming/
>
> In April 2024 we contacted you because your Community Group appeared
> to have become inactive (per [1]). Based on feedback in response to
> our message, we did not close the group, with the expectation that the
> group would soon become more active. Six months later, your group
> appears to still be inactive, and we are more inclined to close it
> unless we hear compelling reasons not to.
>
> If your group is in fact active, we ask that you respond to this email
> with answers to these two questions:
>
> * Is your group publishing any Specifications?
> * What is the group's expectation about future standardization of
>   those Specifications at W3C or at some other standards body?
>
> We also recommend the following:
>
> * Let us know where the activity is going on so that we can update our
>   data and improve our tools.
>
> * Update your group home page with news of your activities.  Chairs
>   can use the Wordpress instance of the group to post news; let us
>   know if you have any questions.
>
> If you have good reason to believe the group will soon become
> active please let us know.
>
> If you would like to schedule a call to discuss the current status of
> your group, your plans, and any obstacles to success, or you simply
> have questions about the CG program, please let us know.
>
> If you are merely hopeful your group will soon become active, or if
> you would like us to close the group, or if we do not hear from you in
> the next 30 days, we will plan to close the group.
>
> Thank you,
>
> CG/BG System
>
> [1] https://www.w3.org/community/about/faq/#close-inactive
>
>