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329 lines
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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN"
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"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en-US" lang="en-US">
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<head>
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<title>QA Working Group Charter (QAWG)</title>
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<link href="/StyleSheets/activity.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />
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</head>
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<body xml:lang="en" lang="en">
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<p class="banner"><a href="/"><img alt="W3C" src="/Icons/WWW/w3c_home"
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/></a><a href="/QA/"><img alt="QA" src="/QA/images/qa" /></a></p>
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<h1>QA Working Group Charter (QAWG)</h1>
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<p><em>This charter is written in accordance with <a
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href="http://www.w3.org/2004/02/Process-20040205/groups.html#WGCharter">section 6.2.6</a> of the
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W3C Process Document.</em></p>
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<hr />
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<h3 class="toc">Table of Contents</h3>
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<ol>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Mission">Mission Statement</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Scope">Scope and Deliverables</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Duration">Duration</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Criteria">Success Criteria</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Milestones">Milestones</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Confidentiality">Confidentiality</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Patent">Patent Disclosures</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Coordination">Dependencies/Relationship With
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Other W3C Activities</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#ExternalGroup">Coordination With External
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Groups</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Comms">Communication Mechanisms</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Vote">Voting Mechanisms</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#Participate">Participation</a></li>
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<li><a class="toc" href="#HowToJoin">How to Join the Working Group</a></li>
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</ol>
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<hr />
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<h2><a id="Mission" name="Mission">1. Mission Statement</a></h2>
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<p>The mission of the <strong>QA Working Group</strong> (QAWG) is to solidify
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and extend current W3C quality practices regarding operational functions;
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specification editing; production of validation tools and test suites; and
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coordination efforts within W3C. The emphasis of this <strong>second
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phase</strong> of the QA Activity (2003-2005) is on implementability of the
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QA OpsGL and SpecGL (CR phase for both of them) and production of quality
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test materials by W3C Working Groups (TestGL).</p>
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<h2><a id="Scope" name="Scope">2. Scope and Deliverables</a></h2>
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<p>The main objective of the QA Working Group is to foster the development of
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usable and useful test suites endorsed by the W3C, and ensure that the
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validating tools of the W3C are fully operational, useful and educational.</p>
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<p>As a step in performing this task, the QA Working Group will need to work
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on conformance testing methodology, on the quality of W3C specifications with
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respect to conformance and clarity, and the tracking of issues related to
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specification ambiguity and evolution.</p>
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<h3>The scope of the QAWG includes:</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>Improving the quality of W3C specifications (with respect to
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conformance statement, test assertions, tutorial and examples, formal
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representation of languages, etc.), by conducting reviews of
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specifications and applying the QA Specs guidelines</li>
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<li>Continuing the development of a common framework and harness for
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developing and running tests, and a process for maintaining, adding and
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removing tests from test suites; and reviewing existing test tools.</li>
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<li>Ensuring coordination with W3C Working Groups who are developing
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specifications (formal channel, appeal)</li>
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<li>Coordinating work with internal W3C horizontal groups: the <a
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href="/WAI/">Web Accessibility Initiative Activity</a>, the <a
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href="/International/">Internationalization Activity</a>, the <a
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href="/2001/07/19-tag">Technical Architecture Group</a> and the <a
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href="/Press/">Communications Team</a>.</li>
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</ul>
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<h3>Deliverables of the QAWG include:</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>Maintenance of an up-to-date <a href="/QA/WG/">QAWG Web site</a></li>
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<li>Timely minutes of teleconferences and face-to-face meetings</li>
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<li>Up-to-date Matrix of specifications/QA activities (a.k.a. <a
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href="/QA/TheMatrix.html">The Matrix</a>);</li>
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<li>Maintenance of a glossary of QA terms and a <a
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href="/QA/Taxonomy.html">taxonomy of tests</a> used in the W3C;</li>
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<li>Monitoring and reporting on QA reviews of other Working Groups'
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activities (charter, specs, tests) with respect to the QA Framework</li>
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<li>Continuing work during their Candidate Recommendation periods on
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example and techniques for OpsGL and SpecGL, e.g. identification and
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development of templates to facilitate implementation of the QA
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Framework</li>
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<li>Evaluation of the next steps for OpsGL and SpecGL in the W3C
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Recommendation track process, incorporating changes for the
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exit-Candidate Recommendation version of those documents.</li>
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<li>A framework and process for developing, managing and running tests
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(data driven, platform independent, formal output language for results -
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e.g. <a href="/2001/03/earl/">EARL</a>, etc). This is TestGL and its
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Examples & Techniques.</li>
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<li>Test materials in the form of questionnaires and/or interactive forms
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that lead the tester through the guidelines document, asking about each
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conformance requirement.</li>
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<li>Refinement of the QAPD (the QAWG's own QA Process Document), that is,
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the way we do QA of QA.</li>
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</ul>
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<h3>Quality Commitments</h3>
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<p>In its operations, specifications, and test materials the QAWG will
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comply with its own guidelines.</p>
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<p>The QAWG is the decision making body for the QA Activity.</p>
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<h2><a id="Duration" name="Duration">3. Duration</a></h2>
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<p>This Working Group is scheduled to last 24 months, from August 2003
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through August 2005.</p>
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<h2><a id="Criteria" name="Criteria">4. Success Criteria</a></h2>
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<p>The main criterion of success for the QAWG is that W3C Recommendations
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released during the operation of the Working Group are of better quality than
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those released before, and that validators and test suites are available for
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each technology. (We note that this criterion for success is dependent on the
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success of communications with other W3C Working Groups.)</p>
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<p>Timely delivery of the materials mentioned above (including our own
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quality commitments) is a criterion for judging the quality of the work of
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the group.</p>
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<h2><a id="Milestones" name="Milestones">5. Milestones</a></h2>
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<p>For the first year only:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>End of Summer 2003: renewal of the Activity</li>
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<li>Fall 2003: face-to-face in the USA</li>
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<li>Winter 2004: second face-to-face and live coordination activities at
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the W3C Technical Plenary Week in Europe</li>
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<li>Spring 2004: face-to-face in Santa-Clara CA, USA</li>
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</ul>
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<h2><a id="Confidentiality" name="Confidentiality">6. Confidentiality</a></h2>
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<p>The Working Group and the Activity resources in general are publicly
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accessible.</p>
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<p>All documentation, test suites, and validating tools produced inside this
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Activity will have to be defined under a license. There are still questions
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about the kind of license to use (for instance, we have two licenses at W3C:
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one for document and one for software, the document license being more
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restrictive for the change control, which may be of interest to ensure the
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integrity of QA tools). This will be discussed in the QA Activity.</p>
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<p>In any case, we expect the tools to be freely usable, runnable, and
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downloadable and that the group will operate under a royalty-free licensing
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mode (RF).</p>
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<h2><a id="Patent" name="Patent">7. Patent Disclosures</a></h2>
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<p>This Working Group operates under the <a href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy-20040205/">W3C Patent Policy</a> (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.</p>
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<h2><a id="Coordination" name="Coordination">8. Dependencies/Relationship
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With Other W3C Activities</a></h2>
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<p>The QAWG is heavily dependent on the participation of Other W3C groups for
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its success.</p>
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<p>This is particularly important for the production of good quality
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specifications and the resolution of issues between external test developers
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and specification editors pertaining to ambiguity in specifications.</p>
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<p>See the note in the Participation section below for details.</p>
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<p>QA will also need to coordinate with other W3C Activities doing reviews,
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like WAI, I18N, Device Independence and the TAG.</p>
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<p>Finally, since the quality of W3C specs is today in the hands of the
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Communications Team (<a href="/Guide/Reports">pubrules</a> - Member-only
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document), good coordination with this W3C team is very important.</p>
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<h2><a id="ExternalGroup" name="ExternalGroup">9. Coordination With External
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Groups</a></h2>
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<p>We expect coordination with external groups to happen in both the QAWG and
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the <a href="/QA/IG/charter.html">QA Interest Group</a> (QAIG). QAIG is where
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issues about outside activities are raised and discussed and QAWG is where
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partnership will actually happen.</p>
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<h2><a id="Comms" name="Comms">10. Communication Mechanisms</a></h2>
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<h3><a id="Email" name="Email">10.1 Email</a></h3>
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<p>The <a href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-qa-wg/">archived</a>
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mailing list <a href="mailto:www-qa-wg@w3.org"><tt>www-qa-wg@w3.org</tt></a>
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is the primary means of discussion within the group.</p>
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<h3><a id="Web" name="Web">10.2 Web</a></h3>
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<p>The group maintains a <a href="/QA/WG/">public</a> Working Group page.</p>
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<h3><a id="Phone" name="Phone">10.3 Phone Meeting</a></h3>
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<p>At the time of this renewal, the QAWG meets every week by phone on Monday
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at 10am Boston time, for one hour to one hour and a half.</p>
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<h3><a id="Meetings" name="Meetings">10.4 Face-to-face Meetings</a></h3>
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<p>Face to face meetings will be arranged 3 to 4 times a year, rotating
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location between USA west coast, east coast, Europe, and occasionally
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Asia/Pacific/Australia. Meeting details are made available on the <a
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href="/Member/Eventscal.html">W3C Member Calendar</a> and on the <a
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href="/QA/WG/">QAWG home page</a>.</p>
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<h3><a id="Pubcom" name="Pubcom">10.5 Communication with the Public</a></h3>
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<p>The <a href="/QA/WG/">QAWG home page</a> is the primary way of
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communicating the group's progress to the public.</p>
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<h2><a id="Vote" name="Vote">11. Voting Mechanisms</a></h2>
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<p>The Group works by consensus. In the event of failure to achieve
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consensus, the Group may resort to a <a
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href="/Consortium/Process/#GroupsWG">vote</a> as described in the Process
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Document. All group participants in good standing are allowed to vote.</p>
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<p>Escalation: Appeals from Working Group decisions are made first to the W3C
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Team following the procedures established by the W3C Process Document (first
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the Domain Leader and then the Director).</p>
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<h2><a id="Participate" name="Participate">12. Participation</a></h2>
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<h3>W3C Staff Resource Commitment</h3>
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<ul>
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<li>Conformance Manager <a href="mailto:karl@w3.org">Karl Dubost</a>:
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50%</li>
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<li>Activity Lead (acting as Domain Leader) <a href="/People/Dom/">Dominique Hazaël-Massieux</a>: 30%</li>
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<li>QA staff <a href="/People/olivier/">Olivier Thereaux</a>: 10%</li>
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</ul>
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<p>W3C also funds Lofton Henderson part-time to lead the QAWG as Chair.</p>
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<p><em>Note</em>: In addition to this core team, it is important to point out
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that most of the W3C technical staff acting as staff contact for a technology
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will end up working "part time" for QA, when their technology is up on the QA
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agenda. E.g. X is not in the QA team, but when the QA team starts looking
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closely at a test suite for the specification he or she is dealing with, we
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expect X to free up some time and resources to coordinate with us, interface
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with people in the group, help us promote whatever W3C test guidelines we
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have come up with during Working Group meetings, if needed, etc.</p>
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<p>All W3C group participants should realize that QA is to be considered a
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<strong>natural overhead</strong> of any Working Group, even if it is not
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written down in W3C process yet. QA will succeed only if every person inside
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W3C participates in it.</p>
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<h3>External Participant Commitment (W3C Members or invited experts)</h3>
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<p>For participation in the QA Working Group, the <a
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href="/Consortium/Process-20010719/process.html#good-standing">requirements
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for meeting attendance and timely response</a> are described in the W3C
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Process Document. This participation (attending meetings, reviewing
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documents, preparing drafts or tools) is expected to consume between
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<strong>one half to one day per week</strong>.</p>
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<p>We expect and will be welcoming different communities to contribute to the
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Activity:</p>
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<ul>
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<li>W3C Working Group participants (W3C Team or not) developing
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specifications;</li>
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<li>W3C Working Group participants developing tests for specifications;</li>
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<li>W3C Team and other individuals working on validators and test
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suites;</li>
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<li>Organizations that specialize in conformance testing for Web
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technologies (W3C or not);</li>
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<li>End-user advocacy groups tracking and lobbying content and/or product
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compliance;</li>
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<li>Organizations involved in certification and/or labeling of compliant
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products; and</li>
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<li>W3C Members representing end users interested in seeing the Web
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interoperability dream become a reality.</li>
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</ul>
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<p>As this Activity has a clear multi-stakeholder approach, we expect to use
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multiple approaches to reach our goals, and not a fixed set of rules that
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would not be applicable to all participants.</p>
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<h2><a id="HowToJoin" name="HowToJoin">13. How to Join the Working
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Group</a></h2>
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<p>Information about how to join the Working Group is available on a separate
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<a href="/QA/howto-join.html">How-to-Join page</a>.</p>
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<hr />
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<address>
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<a href="/People/Dom/">Dominique Hazaël-Massieux</a> <<a
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href="mailto:dom@w3.org">dom@w3.org</a>>, <a
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href="http://www.w3.org/"><acronym
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title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</acronym></a>
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$Date: 2003/07/17
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</address>
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<p><a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer"><img
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src="http://validator.w3.org/images/vh40" alt="Valid HTML 4.0!" height="31"
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alt="Made with CSS!" src="http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/Buttons/mwcos" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG1AA-Conformance"
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title="Explanation of Level Double-A Conformance"><img height="32" width="88"
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src="http://www.w3.org/WAI/wcag1AA"
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alt="Level Double-A conformance icon, W3C-WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0"
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/></a></p>
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<hr />
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<p class="policyfooter"><a rel="Copyright"
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href="/Consortium/Legal/ipr-notice#Copyright">Copyright</a> © 2000-2004 <a
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href="/"><acronym
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title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</acronym></a><sup>®</sup> (<a
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href="http://www.lcs.mit.edu/"><acronym
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title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">MIT</acronym></a>, <a
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href="http://www.ercim.org/"><acronym
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title="European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics">ERCIM</acronym></a>,
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<a href="http://www.keio.ac.jp/">Keio</a>), All Rights Reserved. W3C <a
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