w3orgConsortium

The W3C Consortium, often referred to as the World Wide Web Consortium or W3C, is the primary international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Founded in 1994 by Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, its mission is to lead the Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and ensure its interoperability. The W3C achieves this by bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, including member organizations, full-time staff, and the public.

The organization develops specifications and guidelines in areas such as HTML, CSS, XML, and various web APIs. These standards are crucial for ensuring that websites and web applications function consistently across different browsers, devices, and platforms. The W3C operates through a consensus-based process involving its member community. Its work is divided into various working groups, each focusing on specific areas of web technology. The W3C's headquarters are distributed, with main offices hosted by MIT in the United States, ERCIM in Europe, Keio University in Japan, and Beihang University in China. Its commitment to open standards and accessibility has played a foundational role in the development and growth of the internet as we know it.