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This week, the chief arbiter of Web standards, Tim Berners-Lee, decided not to exercise his power to extend the development timeline for the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) Web technology standard. The EME standardization effort, sponsored by streaming giants like Google and Netflix, aims to make it cheaper and more efficient to impose Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) systems on Web users. The streaming companies' representatives within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) were unable to finish EME within the time allotted by the W3C, and had asked Berners-Lee for an extension through next year.
Berners-Lee made his surprising decision on Tuesday, as explained in an email announcement by W3C representative Philippe Le Hégaret. Instead of granting a time extension — as he has already done once — Berners-Lee delegated the decision to the W3C's general decision-making body, the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee includes diverse entities from universities to companies to nonprofits, and it is divided as to whether EME should be part of Web standards. It is entirely possible that the Advisory Committee will reject the time extension and terminate EME development, marking an important victory for the free Web.
So it's not dead yet, despite Berners-Lee's decision. Let's not celebrate prematurely and keep up the fight to keep DRM out of the web!
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Arik on Sunday October 09 2016, @08:52AM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 09 2016, @04:31PM
This is the wisest comment in the entire debate.
(Score: 2) by darkfeline on Sunday October 09 2016, @07:43PM
Talk is cheap. For example, I can say No to Arik abusing pre/code tags, but he'll still keep abusing them, so the only solution is to take matters into my own hands and remove those tags forcefully using userscripts.
Similarly, we can all say No to Web DRM, but it's going to be added one way or another and the only solution is user-level/client-side blocking. Having a standard will actually make it easier to block.
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 09 2016, @09:21PM
I don't usually respond to trolls like this, but without intending to, you've actually hit on some truth. Or, well, at least hit close to some.
Of course, I'm not actually posting any tags, let alone 'abusing' them, which is why this is just trolling on your part, but still, you're right that the solution lies in your browser. You shouldn't need to do any userscript, although some browsers might be brain-damaged enough to require it I suppose, but generally you just need to go to your font settings. In Firefox, for instance, go to tools - options - content then hit the advanced button. See the checkmark? It turns on brain damage, turn it off, set fonts that work for your screen and your eyes, and you're good!
Seems like that would be easier than following me around like a spurned schoolgirl and blaming me for your browser, and at any rate it will certainly be more effective!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 09 2016, @10:53PM
Seems like that would be easier than following me around like a spurned schoolgirl and blaming me for your browser, and at any rate it will certainly be more effective!
Inigo Montoya: "Who are you?"
AC: "No one to be trifled with. Quit following me."
Inigo: "But you are an AC, so once again I must ask, who are you?"
Six-fingered AC: "Stop saying that!"