CG for Speech JavaScript API

We at Google propose the formation of a new Community Group to pursue a
JavaScript Speech API. Specifically, we are proposing this Javascript API
[1], which enables web developers to incorporate speech recognition and
synthesis into their web pages, and supports the majority of use-cases in
the Speech Incubator Group's Final Report [2]. This API enables developers
to use scripting to generate text-to-speech output and to use speech
recognition as an input for forms, continuous dictation and control. For
this first specification, we believe this simplified subset API will
accelerate implementation, interoperability testing, standardization and
ultimately developer adoption. However, in the spirit of consensus, we are
willing to broaden this subset API to include additional Javascript API
features in the Speech Incubator Final Report.

We believe that forming a Community Group has the following advantages:

- It’s quick, efficient and minimizes unnecessary process overhead.

- We believe it will allow us, as a group, to reach consensus in an
efficient manner.

- We hope it will expedite interoperable implementations in multiple
browsers. (A good example is the Web Media Text Tracks CG, where multiple
implementations are happening quickly.)

- We propose the CG will use the public-webapps@w3.org as its mailing list
to provide visibility to a wider audience, with a balanced web-centric view
for new JavaScript APIs.  This arrangement has worked well for the HTML
Editing API CG [3]. Contributions to the specification produced by the
Speech API CG will be governed by the Community Group CLA and the CG is
responsible for ensuring that all Contributions come from participants that
have agreed to the CG CLA.  We believe the response to the CfC [4] has
shown substantial interest and support by WebApps members.

- A CG provides an IPR environment that simplifies future transition to
standards track.

Google plans to supply an implementation and a test suite for this
specification, and will commit to serve as editor.  We hope that others
will support this CG as they had stated support for the similar WebApps
CfC. [4]

Bjorn Bringert
Satish Sampath
Glen Shires

[1]
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/2011OctDec/att-1696/speechapi.html
[2] http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/htmlspeech/XGR-htmlspeech/
[3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/2011JulSep/1402.html
[4] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-webapps/2012JanMar/0315.html