Open Web Docs supports web platform documentation for the benefit of web developers & designers worldwide. We are a community of web developers, standards makers, and technology companies that rely on this documentation as critical digital infrastructure, and we work cooperatively to ensure its long-term success and maintenance. See our charter.
We are comprised of:
- A Governing Committee which administers the financial sponsorships made via opencollective.com, and explores strategic partnerships and needs for web documentation projects. Governing Committee members are representatives of organizations that have made substantial financial contributions to OWD, and include one representative from staff.
- A Steering Committee which develops and implements shared public roadmaps for key documentation priorities, and facilitates community involvement and execution of those priorities. Steering Committee members are invited on the basis of their expertise and perspective, and represent a mix of individual developers, standards developing organizations, non-sponsoring organizations, and other key stakeholders.
- Full-time technical writing staff who oversee and execute on day-to-day documentation tasks, lead steering committee conversations, and develop and measure success. Staff are legally-compliant employees of the project.
- Community contributors, including technical writers from other organizations, web designers and developers, standards authors, and other individuals interested in contributing high-quality content for documentation, feedback, proposals or other input. Anyone can be a community contributor.
All participants are expected to abide by the code of conduct and follow our membership expectations guidelines.
What is the relationship between Open Web Docs and Mozilla?
- Open Web Docs is a non-profit, strongly community-focused open collective that uses its donations to employ a group of technical writers who are dedicated to writing and improving human-authored documentation for the web platform.
- Open Web Docs was founded in January 2021 and its mission and core values are described in the OWD charter. It is governed by a Governing Committee and a Steering Committee.
- Open Web Docs believes that open and accurate web platform documentation is critical digital infrastructure that ultimately benefits all users of the web.
- MDN Web Docs is one of the most prominent websites that publishes web platform documentation and compatibility data that we contribute to. Mozilla covers the cost of running MDN Web Docs and has its own engineering team, which works on the infrastructure, development, and maintenance of the developer.mozilla.org website. Mozilla also has its own technical writing team.
- Open Web Docs is not involved with MDN Plus, a premium subscription service by Mozilla that allows users to customize their MDN experience.
- Open Web Docs is not funded by Mozilla.
- Open Web Docs only works on free and accessible content; OWD will never contribute to content that is locked behind a paywall, subscription service or similar.
- Open Web Docs does not do work for the commercial interests of Mozilla or of any other company that we partner with.
- Mozilla is part of the Open Web Docs Steering Committee.
- Open Web Docs is not part of the MDN Product Advisory Board and has not given Mozilla advice on MDN product features (disclaimer: representatives from various companies on the MDN PAB are also representatives in the OWD Governing & Steering Committees; they wear several hats).
