Consisting of more than 430 member organizations worldwide, the W3C is committed to developing the Web to its full potential by making technical recommendations and, in the process, by developing protocols with the aim of producing a common, functional infrastructure for true interoperability across all facets of the Web. A collaborative effort, the W3C is hosted by MIT/LCS (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science), ERCIM (European Research Consortium in Informatics and Mathematics), and Keio University, Japan. In addition to these, other support organizations including CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) and DARPA (U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency) contribute to the hosting and support of W3C.

Visit the W3C on the Web at http://www.w3c.org. In addition to current news updates on developing projects, you can view a complete background of the organization, links to member organizations, and fascinating historical archives and documents related to the Web’s history and evolution. Check it out!

Is basic html an outdated technology?
So why should you care about the W3C and its activities? Well, most importantly, you should realize that the basic HTML that is described and illustrated in this book is a somewhat old technology.

Now, this potentially loaded statement needs some clarification. (After all, if you’ve plunked down hard-earned money for this book, you want to be sure the technology you are reading about is worth your time.) The term old technology is not meant to imply that HTML will be written off anytime soon; after all, it is the foundation code of the Web, and—as you will read in a moment—a primary goal of the W3C is to foster the development of new technologies that build on present successes. However—and this is critical—you should be aware that basic HTML means different things to different people, depending on—and this is also critical—the functional requirements. As you will see in the project chapters of this book, HTML can be quite a complicated beast depending on the functional requirements you need to facilitate.

For example, compare the functional requirements of a corporate intranet site to the functional requirements of an elementary school’s Web site (described in this book). Both utilize HTML; however, the functional requirements of each of the two sites are quite different. For the corporate intranet, sales data presented to field sales reps is probably an amalgamation of various internal company factors, such as inventory, availability, and competitive pricing. However, for the elementary school site, the data might be just the product of one person, such as a teacher who has placed a homework assignment on the Web site.The final product of both examples can be accomplished via basic HTML; that is, the information—whatever it is—is neatly formatted and placed within, for example, a table on the Web site. However, the underlying processes that determined that data—in other words, the functional requirements—are quite different. More than likely, a corporate intranet will involve underlying business processes that are more complex than the underlying processes for an elementary school Web site. (Well, maybe… !)

So, to bring this full circle, what does this have to do with HTML being a potentially outdated technology? Again, the basic HTML of yesteryear (just a few years ago!) might not be sufficient to get the job done if the functional requirements of your organization are complex. For example, your Web site might require database integration so customers can search inventory, place orders, and so on. This type of functionality moves beyond basic HTML. To accomplish this, you might want to integrate a Web scripting language (such as Microsoft’s Active Server Pages) with your basic HTML to allow your Web site to talk to an underlying database server.

However, it is important to realize that no matter what the complexity of your final Web site, the underlying processes and functional requirements must take precedence. So regardless of whether your site utilizes basic HTML or advanced scripting languages, the focus must remain on more than just the technology. As you will see in the project chapters of this book, there are really four major components of developing your Web site.

• Assessing the HTML needs. What exactly do you want to Web enable? This is a critical first step in any Web/HTML enterprise, regardless of the scope or size of the project.
• Developing an implementation plan.You need to give as much time (if not more)        to planning your technology implementation as you devote to the actual technology work itself. Indeed, if you plan well, the actual coding should be gravy, and the end result should be a useful, functional Web site.
• Building the solution. This step is self-explanatory, but again, keep in mind the ever-critical planning and assessment stages.
• Administering the application. You build a Web site, but how will you use it and how will you address future requirements? Change control and long-term administration are critical, often overlooked steps.

So is basic HTML an outdated technology? The vast majority of the time, the answer to that question is no—if you plan, assess, implement, and administer your solution with foresight, patience, and skill. But if you jump into a technology solution (Webbased or otherwise) and respond in a knee-jerk fashion to new requirements, no technology—no matter its age or capabilities—will save you from a bad experience. Food for thought as you begin your own HTML professional projects.

In addition to its hundreds of member organizations, the W3C also has specific subgroups charged with specific goals.

• The W3C Team includes more than 60 worldwide researchers and engineers who spearhead the technical work of the W3C and generally manage the operations of the consortium. The majority of the Team’s work is conducted at MIT/LCS, ERCIM, and Keio University.
• The W3C Technical Architecture Group was created in 2001 to provide general direction on the technical aspects of the Web. It consists of five elected and three appointed participants. The Group conducts all of its work via a public mailing list and makes larger recommendations through the W3C.
• The W3C Advisory Board was created in 1998 to provide general strat   egy and advice to the larger team. The Board has no decision-making authority; however, it proposes changes in the W3C process to the Advisory Committee.