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Thread: W3C Guidelines
Number of posts in this thread: 6 (In chronological order)
From: Geof Collis
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 5:03PM
Subject: W3C Guidelines
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Hi All
I'm having a bit of a debate where someone says that the members of
the W3c at the time wrote the guidelines for WCAG 1.0 and I'm
wondering if this is true. I thought that they got input from the web
community and based them on their feedback. Can anyone shed some
light on the process?
cheers
Geof
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From: John Foliot
Date: Thu, Jan 28 2010 5:57PM
Subject: Re: W3C Guidelines
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Geof Collis wrote:
>
> Hi All
>
> I'm having a bit of a debate where someone says that the members of
> the W3c at the time wrote the guidelines for WCAG 1.0 and I'm
> wondering if this is true. I thought that they got input from the web
> community and based them on their feedback. Can anyone shed some
> light on the process?
Both statements are actually correct - the WCAG 1 Guidelines were written
by members of the WAI within W3C, based upon feedback and input from
affected community members (some of the early work however was initiated
at the Trace Center via Gregg Vanderheiden). This is actually how most
W3C Recommendations are developed, but back in 1997 - 1999 there were
fewer voices involved in the discussions. (It's interesting to note some
of those early voices, including Gregg Vanderheiden [Trace], TV Raman [now
at Google], Mike Paciello, Phill Jenkins [IBM], Jon Gunderson
[Urbana-Champaign], and Chuck Letourneau [one of the original Co-Chairs,
and my mentor in the early days].
Going back over the W3C email archives of the time will show the relative
progress path that WCAG 1 took, and actually makes for interesting reading
if you like history. The archives can be found at:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/
Also related to that list was the WAI Interest Group, whos archive can be
found at:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/
Cheers!
JF
From: Shadi Abou-Zahra
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 12:54AM
Subject: Re: W3C Guidelines
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Hi Geof,
You may also be interested in an introductory resource on "How WAI
Develops Accessibility Guidelines through the W3C Process":
- <http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/w3c-process.php>;
The full details on W3C processes and its involvement with the web
community are available in the "W3C Process Document":
- <http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/>;
Note that not only WCAG but all W3C technical specifications are
developed with opportunity for community input. Most of the W3C/WAI
educational resources are developed by multi-stakeholder input too.
Best,
Shadi
John Foliot wrote:
> Geof Collis wrote:
>> Hi All
>>
>> I'm having a bit of a debate where someone says that the members of
>> the W3c at the time wrote the guidelines for WCAG 1.0 and I'm
>> wondering if this is true. I thought that they got input from the web
>> community and based them on their feedback. Can anyone shed some
>> light on the process?
>
> Both statements are actually correct - the WCAG 1 Guidelines were written
> by members of the WAI within W3C, based upon feedback and input from
> affected community members (some of the early work however was initiated
> at the Trace Center via Gregg Vanderheiden). This is actually how most
> W3C Recommendations are developed, but back in 1997 - 1999 there were
> fewer voices involved in the discussions. (It's interesting to note some
> of those early voices, including Gregg Vanderheiden [Trace], TV Raman [now
> at Google], Mike Paciello, Phill Jenkins [IBM], Jon Gunderson
> [Urbana-Champaign], and Chuck Letourneau [one of the original Co-Chairs,
> and my mentor in the early days].
>
> Going back over the W3C email archives of the time will show the relative
> progress path that WCAG 1 took, and actually makes for interesting reading
> if you like history. The archives can be found at:
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/
>
> Also related to that list was the WAI Interest Group, whos archive can be
> found at:
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/
>
> Cheers!
>
> JF
>
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 5:45AM
Subject: Re: W3C Guidelines
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Hi John
Thanks!!
So it was a collaborative effort by the W3C an the web community?
cheers
Geof
At 07:57 PM 1/28/2010, you wrote:
>Geof Collis wrote:
> >
> > Hi All
> >
> > I'm having a bit of a debate where someone says that the members of
> > the W3c at the time wrote the guidelines for WCAG 1.0 and I'm
> > wondering if this is true. I thought that they got input from the web
> > community and based them on their feedback. Can anyone shed some
> > light on the process?
>
>Both statements are actually correct - the WCAG 1 Guidelines were written
>by members of the WAI within W3C, based upon feedback and input from
>affected community members (some of the early work however was initiated
>at the Trace Center via Gregg Vanderheiden). This is actually how most
>W3C Recommendations are developed, but back in 1997 - 1999 there were
>fewer voices involved in the discussions. (It's interesting to note some
>of those early voices, including Gregg Vanderheiden [Trace], TV Raman [now
>at Google], Mike Paciello, Phill Jenkins [IBM], Jon Gunderson
>[Urbana-Champaign], and Chuck Letourneau [one of the original Co-Chairs,
>and my mentor in the early days].
>
>Going back over the W3C email archives of the time will show the relative
>progress path that WCAG 1 took, and actually makes for interesting reading
>if you like history. The archives can be found at:
>http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/
>
>Also related to that list was the WAI Interest Group, whos archive can be
>found at:
>http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/
>
>Cheers!
>
>JF
>
From: Geof Collis
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 5:48AM
Subject: Re: W3C Guidelines
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Hi Shadi
Thanks!
I had an inkling of the process as I sent in feedback on WCAG 2.0 by
that process.
cheers
Geof
At 02:53 AM 1/29/2010, you wrote:
>Hi Geof,
>
>You may also be interested in an introductory resource on "How WAI
>Develops Accessibility Guidelines through the W3C Process":
> - <http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/w3c-process.php>;
>
>The full details on W3C processes and its involvement with the web
>community are available in the "W3C Process Document":
> - <http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/>;
>
>Note that not only WCAG but all W3C technical specifications are
>developed with opportunity for community input. Most of the W3C/WAI
>educational resources are developed by multi-stakeholder input too.
>
>Best,
> Shadi
>
>
>John Foliot wrote:
> > Geof Collis wrote:
> >> Hi All
> >>
> >> I'm having a bit of a debate where someone says that the members of
> >> the W3c at the time wrote the guidelines for WCAG 1.0 and I'm
> >> wondering if this is true. I thought that they got input from the web
> >> community and based them on their feedback. Can anyone shed some
> >> light on the process?
> >
> > Both statements are actually correct - the WCAG 1 Guidelines were written
> > by members of the WAI within W3C, based upon feedback and input from
> > affected community members (some of the early work however was initiated
> > at the Trace Center via Gregg Vanderheiden). This is actually how most
> > W3C Recommendations are developed, but back in 1997 - 1999 there were
> > fewer voices involved in the discussions. (It's interesting to note some
> > of those early voices, including Gregg Vanderheiden [Trace], TV Raman [now
> > at Google], Mike Paciello, Phill Jenkins [IBM], Jon Gunderson
> > [Urbana-Champaign], and Chuck Letourneau [one of the original Co-Chairs,
> > and my mentor in the early days].
> >
> > Going back over the W3C email archives of the time will show the relative
> > progress path that WCAG 1 took, and actually makes for interesting reading
> > if you like history. The archives can be found at:
> > http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-gl/
> >
> > Also related to that list was the WAI Interest Group, whos archive can be
> > found at:
> > http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/
> >
> > Cheers!
> >
> > JF
> >
From: Simius Puer
Date: Fri, Jan 29 2010 7:00AM
Subject: Re: W3C Guidelines
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That's exactly it Geof.
It's really worth-while getting involved in helping shape the future of
standards. And it's a lot more helpful than those developers who complain
and whine about the W3C being slow/closed-doors/making bad decisions, but
never actually get off their butts to make a difference.
Ages ago I found a minor flaw in the XHTML Strict spec and contacted the
head of the working group...I got a prompt and very helpful response. Had I
spotted it earlier I could have helped ensure the DTD didn't contain the
error...so everyone can play an important part of today's standards!
It can seem daunting at first, but I found it very helpful to to get
involved with the formation of WCAG 2.0...not only to help shape them but
also to keep abreast of what I'd be working with when they came out. It was
a rewarding and enriching experience that I'd recommend to anyone interested
in any of the W3C standards. ...and those sitting on the sidelines just
looking in and whining can shut the heck up ;]