ACTION-753 Technical topics of concern (for W3C management from TAG)

I'm not sure how "technical" all of these topics are, but here's my draft of some topics of some concern. I'm mainly just dredging up things in my "to think about" list

1.  Governance effects on web architecture - need to take a general approach

The TAG has been discussing areas where governance - the desire of legal, regulatory, administrative, or contractual relationships to regulate communication - affects web architecture.   While W3C has ongoing efforts in privacy, security, accessibility and internationalization are oriented toward insuring that standards specified by W3C specifications can accommodate at least some of the governance requirements, there is a need to do more. For example, the "publishing and linking" FPWD from the TAG addresses some of the issues of linking vs. copying vs. embedding that have been at the center of some controversies with regard to the application of governance around copyright, censorship of unwanted material, identity, logging, and many other issues. While the TAG discussed a more general framework (http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/governanceFramework.html) the larger topics seem outside the scope of what the TAG can take on alone.

2.  Security is an arms race, and the bad guys are winning. 

 There are a wide range of security topics, exploits, and an increasing importance to the proper functioning of the web. Many of the exploits cross the layers of network infrastructure between W3C and IETF. Both groups need to do more. We in the standards community is doing a poor job of insuring specifications are implementable securely. We can't define standards and leave it up to the implementations to define security.

3.  Boundary between "Web" and "Internet Applications" evolving

As web capabilities expand, the boundary between "Web" and "not web" continues to blur, and the overlap between W3C and IETF also becomes more problematic.  The definition of what the "Web" is compared to other internet applications requires a more principled discussion and coordination.  This applies in general to a wide variety of areas (WebRTC RTCWeb) but specifically for two technologies fundamental to the web but work in the IETF without significant W3C involvement:

4. HTTP 2.0 performance and conformance. 
 W3C can and should put resources into development of HTTP 2.0 as an IETF spec, including gathering benchmarks, help with analysis, workshops, developer outreach. Make HTTP part of the platform. Much disagreement about what "faster" means (Discuss with W3C AC, and also at HTTP meeting at IETF)

5. URLs:  
The coordination between IETF and W3C work on URI specs is fumbling; the relationship between the specs troublesome and the plan forward unclear. There are significant technical issues that are clouded by the political ones.


A few more ideas to discuss:

6. Cloud
Quite a bit of standards activities around cloud not addressed in W3C

7. Identity
Identity management, biometrics

8. Internet of Things
Move to make light switches, power sources, 100s to 1000s of internet devices at home

9. Mobile networking, performance, security, privacy

Received on Wednesday, 28 November 2012 20:48:12 UTC