Stardate 20011003.0732 (On Screen): W3C is considering a plan to permit the incorporation of proprietary technology into future web standards. Actually, it's even less than that; they're considering a procedure which would be used in future if someone does propose using proprietary technology into future web standards. Predictably the largest howls of protest are coming from the rock-throwing wing of the Open Source movement (i.e. Stallmanites). Hysteria seems to have set in: "They're going to start charging for use of the web!" No, not really. This won't affect any existing standard, it merely means that it will be possible to create new standards which are not free and open. There's a great deal on the web now which is not free and open (i.e. Flash, Realplayer), but under current rules those things can't be formalized into a spec by W3C. The new rules will permit standardization of those things -- but that won't force anyone to use them. There are a lot of unused standards out there. Anyone who proposes a standard which has unreasonable licensing provisions may get it approved, but won't necessarily convince anyone to buy or use it, and if their technology is a good one and the licensing is reasonable, it will get used anyway even if there is no spec.
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