1. Getting Involved in the W3C
Lorrie Cranor
Mary Fernandez
Prepared for October 3, 2000 Cookie Talk

2. Overview What is the W3C? What areas does W3C work in?
Our experiences with W3C
What’s in it for you?

3. What is W3C? Over 400 member companies
Interested in any technology related to the web
New activities created at request of members
Working groups chartered
Working groups make draft recommendations
After a long time proposed recommendations go to membership for “vote”
Public input solicited, but only members “vote”

4. W3C Domains Architecture Technology and Society User Interface
HTTP
XML
Technology and Society
P3P
Metadata
User Interface
HTML
DOM
CSS/XSL
Web Accessibility Initiative

5. Lorrie’s experience with W3C
Involved in P3P work at W3C for about 3 years
AT&T representative to W3C advisory committee
Chair of P3P specification working group for about a year
Working on P3P has been…
Interesting
Exciting
Frustrating
Time consuming
Fun

6. P3P Working Group members
hard at work in Kiel, Germany

7. Floating some ideas…

8. Mary’s experience with W3C
XML Query working group – for about 1 year
Editor of 2 out of 3 public documents
Chair of subgroup with XSLT
Working on XML Query has been…
Interesting
Exciting
Frustrating
Time consuming
Fun

9. Pros and cons of standards work
Positives
Negatives
+ Opportunity for your work to have real impact
- Time consuming
+ Lots of networking opportunities
- Lots of time spent on political issues
+ High profile work may be viewed as valuable by employer and others
- Employer may not view work as very valuable
+ Lots of travel to exotic (and not-so-exotic) places
- Lots of travel to exotic (and not-so-exotic) places
+ Opportunity to work with lots of different people with diverse view points
- Opportunity to work with lots of different people with diverse view points

10. Find out more W3C web site: http://www.w3.org AT&T W3C mailing list:
with the message: subscribe w3c