They're relevant because in practice the W3C is where vendors come together to develop web technologies, and the specification is the end result of that. The fa

They're relevant because in practice the W3C is where vendors come together to develop web technologies, and the specification is the end result of that. The fact that vendors have, to some degree, implemented their specifications in the past also give them some weight. The specification should be seen as the end result of vendors coming together rather than something that's dictated to them by a standards body. In any open platform, the fact that vendors are willing to follow specifications created by a standards body is the only thing that makes them relevant, whether the W3C or otherwise. There's no way to force people to implement a specification fully and correctly.