w3c.org

Is this the standards for html, xhtml, etc...

[Josephsims77]

I am curious to know if w3c.org is the organization that sets regulations on websites?

Can anyone help?

[bcolflesh]

They post recommendations - hopefully we will never move into the realm of "regulation".

[Josephsims77]

Should we use this as nothing more than guide?

[bcolflesh]

It's the best guide currently available - following their specs typically leads to the best site representation across most devices - but it's up to you and your particular situation.

[DrDoc]

W3C is a little bit more than a guide, though not a law maker.
But, they are nevertheless in charge of Web standards.

[bcolflesh]

they are nevertheless in charge of Web standards

Nope - no one is "in charge" of Web Standards - their recommendations have been relatively consistent and they've been accepted by many powerful organizations as the basis for development - that's it.

[DrDoc]

Legally? No, the Web is free and 100% open to everyone. No one owns it.

But, by default it is THE deciding maker, which makes them "in charge"...
[w3.org...]
Especially since Tim Berners-Lee founded the W3C as well as invented the Web.

[bcolflesh]

Nope - In charge intimates that they can make decisions or create standards that other bodies must accept - they can't and don't - ask MS ;)

I use their validator and docTypes and see their benefit - but as an organization, they are simply tolerated.

[jfred1979]

Especially since Tim Berners-Lee founded the W3C as well as invented the Web.

And I just saw that he's been knighted in England! What does one have to do to get knighted?

[IeuanJ]

One has to make a significant contribution to the British Empire.

Examples include extreme bravery or achieving victory in wartime, improving the quality of life, improving britains standing throughout the world or apparently coaching a side to winning the world cup.

Oh and by the way you get knighted in the UNITED KINGDOM, not in England, England is only one part of the UK.

And as for the W3C, they are in no way an inforcement body, they cannot punish anyone for not following standards.

However their standards they are recognised as the accepted standards of the web and ALL browsers and sites are expected to follow these standards.

There is no official punishment for not doing so. However recently there have been cases where non-standards compliant sites have been successfully fined under various disability discrimination acts becasue their lack of compliance meant that fully standard compliant browsers (in these cases specialist screen readers for the blind) were not able to correctly render the page. This was claimed to be discriminatory by cutting out large sections of the blind community, I think I can remember a $20k fine for the Sydney Olympic Organising Committee a few years back for this.

So in short, while they do not regulate, you would be most definately advised to follow their standards wherever possible for both legal reasons and for the simple fact that it offers the best chance of cross-browser compatability.

[R1chard]

Yes, they most definately are "in charge" of web standards. They don't control the web, but they do control the standards themselves.

But ayway, if you ask me, the "punishment" for a webmaster not following the standards is simply a loss of visitors.

[g1smd]

Note that the site is at [w3.org...] rather than at w3c.org as incorrectly stated in the thread title.

So, w3.org would be correct.