Web Standards Organizations

Understanding who creates web standards helps you find authoritative sources and predict future CSS capabilities.

W3C (World Wide Web Consortium):

• Creates most web standards (HTML, CSS, SVG, WCAG)
• Process: Working Draft → Candidate Recommendation → Recommendation
• Key specs: CSS specifications, HTML Living Standard

WHATWG (Web Hypertext Application Technology Working Group):

• Maintains HTML Living Standard
• Browser-vendor focused (Apple, Google, Mozilla, Microsoft)

TC39 (Technical Committee 39):

• Governs JavaScript/ECMAScript evolution
• Proposal stages: 0 (strawperson) → 4 (finished)

IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force):

• Network protocols (HTTP, URI schemes)
• RFCs define internet standards

Mental Model: These aren’t competing authorities but collaborative ecosystems. Browser vendors implement, developers provide feedback, committees standardize.

Practical Use: Follow these sources for bleeding-edge CSS features and implementation status.

Related: Progressive Enhancement, CSS Feature Detection