3-Stage Standards Process: Guaranteeing an open and decentralized ecosystem

Standards Fediverse Enhancement Proposals
40

Further clarifying 3-stage Standards Process

In FEP Process - Clarity on positioning: open and inclusive - #8 I collected feedback on the FEP process. The way I picture the FEP Process’ role as the 2nd-stage in a 3-stage standards process is:

  • Just one way how things from the ecosystem permeate bottom-up to further standardization.
    • The FEP process need not be used. Entirely optional.
    • Ecosystem can directly participate with W3C.
    • Ecosystem can define their own practices & standards (think e.g. ForgeFed)
  • FEP’s can be:
    • informative (ideas, good practices)
    • specialized (domain-specific)
    • recommended practices (when well-defined, tested, implemented)
  • FEP’s are a handy way to:
    • inform the decentralized ecosystem (“where I can find common/popular ways of doing things”)
    • inform the W3C on what to cherry-pick for further adoption (likely recommended practices)
  • SocialHub merely facilitates. SocialHub is just a community, part of the ecosystem.
    • Task of FEP editors is to minimize gatekeeping.
    • Editors are responsible for process, not content.
  • SocialHub liaisons with W3C.
    • Bottom-up. How can we help W3C evolve the standards? Inform by the FEP + discussions.
    • Top-down. How can we help W3C open standards adoption? Follow-up to W3C activity.

All this depicted in the following diagram:

1st stage is the decentralized ecosystem, where SocialHub is part of and only facilitates the FEP process, which is the 2nd stage. The FEP informs the W3C who cherry-pick both from the FEP and from the ecosystem. The ecosystem either participates in the FEP or the W3C or both. Only the W3C gives formal guidance. FEP and ecosystem have mixed informative/formal practices
1st stage is the decentralized ecosystem, where SocialHub is part of and only facilitates the FEP process, which is the 2nd stage. The FEP informs the W3C who cherry-pick both from the FEP and from the ecosystem. The ecosystem either participates in the FEP or the W3C or both. Only the W3C gives formal guidance. FEP and ecosystem have mixed informative/formal practices1651×1070 112 KB

(Note: Excalidraw diagram definition is included, picture can be opened/edited in the UI)

@codenamedmitri @eprodrom your feedback would be much appreciated from the perspective of W3C.

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