Technical architecture is about interfaces, system design, principles & connecting people:
cross-cutting concerns.

What is the TAG?

 8 elected, 3 appointed (2 unfilled),
1 emeritus chair (Tim),
1 staff contact

Sangwhan, Dan, Tess, Yves, Lea, Hadley, Amy, Matthew

Martin, Max, Peter

Our last F2F, January 2024, hosted by Apple in London

Current work of the TAG

• Reviewing others' work: primarily design reviews 
  • including design principles, security & privacy questionnaire, a11y questionnaire, privacy principles
  • 43 design reviews completed so far in 2024
• Writing down the high level principles of the web: ethical web principles, findings, design principles, etc...
• Convene task forces when necessary
• Technical governance and oversight
  • Play a role in cross-organization liaisons
  • Review charters
  • Help to resolve formal objections via Council process
  • Inform technical strategy

Value of Design Review

• For some, the first port-of-call for wide review
  • We highlight privacy, security, internationalisation, accessibility issues and recommend further detailed reviews in these areas if warranted
• We are part of "W3C wide review"
• We ideally want to provide value earlier in the design process
  • Design principles, Security & Privacy Questionnaire, Accessibility Questionnaire, Privacy Principles, etc...
  • "Early" design review for emerging ideas
• We flag issues like lack of multi-stakeholder or multi-implementer support
• We encourage people to work together rather than in silos

https://tag.w3.org/workmode/design-reviews/

How does the TAG work?

The TAG holds 5 video call breakouts per week (commitment to attend 2) and we hold a plenary call once every 2 weeks.

In January, we held a 3-day F2F in London. In September 2023, we held a "virtual F2F" with a 4-day schedule comprised of 18 breakout sessions across 3 time zone groups.

All minutes are posted to: https://github.com/w3ctag/meetings/

How does the TAG Provide Technical Leadership?

Step 1: Identify a key area of work where TAG can make an impact

Step 2:
Articulate this problem and then work with others to make that impact.

Case Study: Securing the Web

TAG identified a problem: pervasive monitoring

IETF RFC: "pervasive monitoring is an attack."

We worked with W3C team, IETF (IAB) colleagues and others on a workshop ("STRINT").

We issued a finding: "Securing the Web". 

Now this is part of our technical culture.

https://www.w3.org/2014/strint/

Web Platform Design Principles

General design principles for
new web features.

Incorporates our "learnings" from the design review process.

API Design Across Languages

HTML / CSS / JavaScript

Events

Web IDL / Types / Units

OS "Wrapper" APIs

Naming

https://www.w3.org/TR/design-principles/

Ethical Web Principles

High level principles  that can guide our standardization work here in W3C and guide development of best practices and design principles across the consortium. What should we be working on here? What differentiates the web from other platforms?

https://w3.org/TR/ethical-web-principles

Privacy Principles

Privacy is a key differentiator for web. This sets out a comprehensive set of definitions about what we talk about when we talk about privacy on the web along with specific, actionable design principles that can be used by API designers, web developers, and browser makers.

https://www.w3.org/TR/privacy-principles/

Ethical Web Principles

Introduction that seeks to differentiate the web

on ethical grounds.

12 high-level principles.

Not intended to be actionable in itself :

this document informs our other work.

Complements the AB "vision" document.

https://www.w3.org/TR/ethical-web-principles/

Quoted  and referenced in UN report on "Human rights and technical standard-setting processes for new and emerging digital technologies"

https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4031373

Privacy Principles

Defining privacy on the web

Discussion of key concepts

Principles applicable to API designers, browser makers & web developers

https://www.w3.org/TR/privacy-principles/

New Territory: Statements

The TAG is requesting two of its documents to be ratified as W3C Statements

What's a Statement?

A W3C Statement is a Note that has been endorsed by W3C as a whole. In order to elevate a Note to W3C Statement status, A group must:

• show that the document has received wide review. 
• record the group’s decision to request publication as a W3C Statement. 
• show that all issues raised against the document since its first publication as a Note have been formally addressed. 
• provide public documentation of any Formal Objections.

Why are we seeking Statement status?

They already represent TAG consensus. We want to elevate these documents to W3C consensus to give them additional credibility and impact.

These documents have both been, and continue to be, subject to wide review in the community.

Thank you.

https://tag.w3.org/

We're on github: https://github.com/w3ctag

Follow @tag@w3c.social in the #Fediverse