Can I participate "as an individual" in W3C?

There are a variety of ways to participate in W3C, including participation in W3C groups, code development, translations, and standards promotion.

Individuals who are employed by a W3C Member should contact their organization's Advisory Committee Representative about participation in a group. Note that for most W3C groups (except the TAG, for example), when you are an employee of a W3C Member, you are considered to represent the Member in a group, in particular with respect to any W3C Patent Policy obligations.

Some individuals who are not employed by a W3C Member may participate as an "invited expert" in a Working or Interest Group but in the general case, such participation is subject to approval by the group Chair and Team contact.

Can I participate in the HTML Working Group?

Please see our (FAQ) about Public Invited Experts in the W3C HTML Working Group

How do I request or change my W3C account?

People participating in W3C can request an account through an online form or change their existing account.

Can a W3C Member participate in any Working Group?

Yes. Participation in any Working Group is open to any W3C Member; this is one of the benefits of Membership.

How many participants may a Member have in a Working Group?

The number of participants you may have in a group is determined by the group charter and your organization's own resource limits. The W3C Process itself imposes no limit.

What are the usual participation expectations when part of a Working Group?

The charter states the participation expectations. For many groups, participation means attending a weekly teleconference, attending face-to-face meetings in various locations several times per year, attending the Technical Plenary week (once per year), and following mailing list discussion. W3C welcomes participants to help in editing Recommendation Track documents. The Process Document includes more information about group participation.

How do I join a Working or Interest Group?

Please see the instructions for Member employees and the instructions for non-Member employees (that is, Invited Experts).

How do I join a Community or Business Group?

In the list of current groups, there is a "join" button for each group. You must have a W3C account (which are freely available) to join a group. Learn more about Community and Business Groups.

How does W3C promote international participation?

Through liaisons with national, regional and international organizations, translations , talks around the world, and more. Learn more about international participation in W3C.

Does W3C have guidance for maintaining a positive work environment?

Yes. Please see the Positive Work Environment Task Force's Statement of Principles.

How can EU-funded projects participate in W3C?

Please see our information on participation in W3C by EU-funded Projects.