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I think the fundamental problem is that the web has no clear organizational structure. Although the internet itself is decentralized, it has a fairly clear orga
by _qulr 6y ago
I think the fundamental problem is that the web has no clear organizational structure. Although the internet itself is decentralized, it has a fairly clear organization structure, where each part of the internet has ownership, and there are explicit relationships, and expectations, and modes of cooperation between the various parties.
In the past, the W3C was at least nominally "in charge" of the web. They were the natural providers of documentation. But then 2 big things happened: (1) vehement disagreement between the W3C and the browser vendors over the successor to HTML4, and (2) the "mobile revolution", which changed the landscape of the whole tech industry.
To a significant extent, W3C has been sidelined by WHATWG. So now, WHATWG would be the natural providers of documentation for the web. However, WHATWG is dominated by Google/Apple/Microsoft, and nobody really trusts those BigCos to run the web, even if they do actually run the web by virtue of their market share dominance. And each of those BigCos has their own agenda which is not necessarily beneficial for the open web.
Thus, we're left with a leadership vacuum. We can try to "crowdsource" documentation, but that ultimately seems doomed to failure IMO, as most crowdsourcing efforts are. (The well known "tragedy of the commons".) I don't have a solution to these problems myself, to be sure. Sorry! I do agree that the solution needs to be permanent organizational funding of professional writers, but I don't know who that organization should be.
- gowld 6y ago> think the fundamental problem is that the web has no clear organizational structure. think the fundamental problem is that the Universe has no clear organizational structure. We have to make it up as we go a long. Even a national government was simply made up by some people and enforced by the use of force, the only law of nature.
- _qulr 6y agoSure, but that only works if a critical mass of people rally behind specific leadership. Millions of individuals acting independently is just chaos. So the question is, which web organization should we rally behind? WHATWG? Well, ok, but... ugh.