Whose web is it anyway?
summary
History and current power plays over web standards: browser vendors, grassroots implementers, and funders decide what ships. Examples: crowdfunded work to add responsive images (picture element and srcset) via a Yoav Weiss–funded C++ patch into Blink/WebKit, and Igalia’s Open Prioritization for paid feature implementation. Legal threats include Axel Springer suing Adblock Plus arguing HTML5 is a “program,” which could outlaw browser interventions (ad blocking, prefers-reduced-motion, high-contrast) and break assistive-tech protections. Social platforms plus Section 230 failures amplify harms, so more human moderation and end‑user focus are urged.
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