Benefits of membership
The formation of the W3
consortium has promoted by demands from a wide range of
organizations.
These organizations are typically investing significant resources into the
web, in developing software products, in developing information products,
or most commonly in its use an enabling medium for their business or activity.
There has a been a strong desire that the stability of the web should be
maintained by a competent authority,
and many prospective consortium members have expressed their desire to provide
funding in support of that effort.An initial benefit, then,
is that to society as a whole that the organization would exist.
A voice in W3O affairs
Specific benefits arising form membership are a closer relationship with the
W3O teams.
Consortium members are able to feed their specific concerns and priorities
through the formal channel of the Consortium Board as well as though many
informal links which will be created in the context of specific work areas.
Direct access
Consortium members likewise benefit from more direct access to working papers
and code of the W3 teams.
Although such papers and code are eventually made freely available to the
public,
consortium members have the privilege of access to them during development,
so as to be able to ensure that their own developments are synchronized with
any W3O enhancements.Sponsor visibility
The World-Wide Web has been a phenomenon with few parallels in history,
in terms of growth rate and potential to change society's workings,
and its scope for boundless opportunity.
As such, it has a high media profile,
and the indirect benefits accruing from visibility of as member of the W3
Consortium should not be underestimated.