Ensure each proposal fulfils the goals of the W3C

[jwrosewell]

Group chairs must ensure all proposals, in whatever form presented, align to the W3C membership agreement and record in a short statement how they achieve those goals. I have provided an analysis on this subject in issue 459.

This would help to ensure that proposals support the achievement of a competitively neutral standard, and thus that liability under competition law should not arise for members and the W3C.

[chaals]

Can you please clarify whether you expect volunteer chairs to record how the proposals align to the membership agreement, or merely to gag any discussion on or consideration of a proposal that does not already include that statement?

To be clear, either way I am sceptical that the effort of doing this will actually help combat anti-competitive behaviour in practice. I suspect that instead the overhead of adjudicating whether a proposal does this will mean only well-resourced participants are able to manage to submit proposals under such a new requirement.

[dwsinger]

This seems part of a set of issues that seem to have substantial overlap; my comment on #477 applies here.

I remain unclear what change to the Process document would be suggested here, as well.

[dwsinger]

Transfer to the AB to consider how we check that proposed activities are in scope, aligned with values, and specifically are congruent with the member agreement, and so on. Seems to relate to questions about improving charter review e.g. by horizontal groups including AB/TAG, and charter preparation by the Team.