RE: Recruiting software companies ( was One of those pesky questions

Folks,

Immersion has some experience with recruiting software companies to support a standard - First with our video game force feedback API (which was eventually subsumed into Direct X) and now with the new FEELit API.

Support from the top is critical, but low-level activity is even more important to making things happen.  You will need a dedicated, *full-time* "evangalist" with the technical expertise to help the browser folks (and earn their respect) and the networking skill to build a movement.  This should be a full-time position within WAI.  An ideal person might be a hot protégé of one of the WAI leaders (perhaps we could ship someone from IL or WI to Boston ;)  Whoever is chosen, both technical skill and personality are very important.  It needs to be a high-energy person ready to preach the word.

Chris

-----Original Message-----
From:	Scott Luebking [SMTP:phoenixl@netcom.com]
Sent:	Wednesday, March 04, 1998 8:40 AM
To:	w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject:	Recruiting software companies ( was One of those pesky questions

Hi,
Getting accessibility into HTML 4.0 was an excellent accomplishment.
I think the next major goal needs to be getting accessibility into
browsers.  Many of the accessibility issues for web pages result from
browsers' being inaccessible.  In order for browsers to become
accessible, the browser companies need to be recruited into participating
in the browser accessibility process.

What resources does WAI have?  I think there are three important ones.
First, there's the association with W3.  The second is support of the White
House and the administration.  The third is money.  If I remember correctly
from the WAI launch last year, WAI was going to be given several
hundreds of thousands of dollars for each of the next couple of years.
I'm figuring there's probably a fair amount of money available.  From
what I understand, Judy is the only staff person for WAI.  I haven't
seen any announcements for grant applications or awarding of grants.
I don't believe that WAI has been many sponsoring conferences.  So, there's
probably a fair amount of money available unless W3 or MIT get hefty cuts.

I wonder if there are some creative ways to use the power of the White House
and some of the WAI funds to recruit browser companies into the browser
accessibility process.  A simplistic idea would be to set up an afternoon
meeting at the White House for CEO's of browser companies and use
some WAI money to fly them in.  The White House could convey the
importance of getting accessibility into browsers so that regulations
aren't needed.


Scott

Received on Wednesday, 4 March 1998 12:18:28 UTC