Take the Pledge
The Web Interoperability Pledge (WIP) is a promise to adhere to current
HTML standards as promulgated by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Although it seems deceptively simple, it is a powerful way to convince
vendors to adhere to open standards. By pledging to support only official
standards, users take away the incentive for vendors to “cheat” by
introducing proprietary extensions.
History of the WIP
WIP was created in 1997 in response to a threat to the Web’s single global
standard. The Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) had been rapidly advancing Web
standards such as HTML through an open process. In their eagerness to gain
a competitive edge, Microsoft and Netscape began introducing separate,
incompatible extensions without sufficient consultation. Webmasters would
have been forced to choose between the Netscape “flavor” or the Microsoft
“flavor” of HTML. Or forced to build two versions of their sites, one for
each set of extensions. The issue was spotlighted in the ZDNet AnchorDesk
artice Microsoft, Netscape
Feud Puts HTML’s Future at Risk
In response to this threat, ZDNet AnchorDesk posted a
“Make-A-Difference”
petition asking the two companies to cooperate. The response from users and
customers was so overwhelming that both companies agreed to the idea of a
pledge to end the “feud.”
Netscape and Microsoft Unite on Web
Interoperability Following First Internet Rebellion.
