HTML WRITERS GUILD SUPPORTS WEB STANDARDS PROJECT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           Contact: Kynn Bartlett, VP Marketing
August 10, 1998 1:00 PM PDT             (909) 607-7771, kynn@hwg.org  
Carmel Valley, CA                            Ann Navarro, VP Finance
                                         (831) 659-8311, ann@hwg.org

Web designers shouldn't have to waste 20% of their time just because

the browser makers can't follow standards.  That's the message the
HTML Writers Guild, the world's largest organization of web authors,
is sending to Microsoft, Netscape, and other software publishers by
supporting the Web Standards Project.

The Web Standards Project is a collective effort by leading web
designers and concerned end users dedicated to halting the
fragmentation of the web by persuading browser makers to conform to
the established web standards.

"All members of the HWG can benefit from the efforts of the Web
Standards Project," said Ann Navarro, HWG Vice President of Finance
and a founding member of the WSP.  "Web developers and students
of HTML spend quite a bit of time learning the quirks of each
browser, and which features of established standards are or are
not supported. That time, effort, and expense could be better
used learning new skills, enhancing current projects, or creating
new content."

"Support for web standards is long, long overdue," said Joe Cline,
HWG President.  "The WSP's goals mesh well with the mission of the
Guild:  providing education on the current state of affairs on the
Web, and encouraging compliance with the standards set by the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)."

The Guild is a strong supporter of the W3C's standards, recently
mandating the use of HTML 4.0 and CSS2 on the HWG website, and
encouraging standards compliance by Guild members.  In addition,
the Guild is a strong proponent of universal accessibility in web
design.

Browsers play a critical role in authoring accessible pages,
according to the results of the Guild's recently concluded
Accessibility Guidelines Implementation (AGI) project.

"We had more than fifty web designers exploring the issue of
designing with accessibility for disabled users," said Kynn
Bartlett, HWG Vice President of Marketing and Outreach, and AGI
project coordinator.  "They identified 'better accessibility
support in browsers' as the biggest single factor that could lead
to better usability for everyone.  The browser companies need to
get on the ball and support the accessibility features in HTML
4.0 and CSS2."

The HTML Writers Guild plans to educate and inform their members
about the Web Standards Project, and how they can get involved
with the WSP's efforts.
"The Guild's membership in the W3C gives the average web author
representation in the standards creation process; our involvement
in the WSP encourages our members to help with the next step: 
Compliance with those standards," explained Charlotte Crothers,
HWG Vice President of Member Education.

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About the HWG:
The HTML Writers Guild represents a membership of over 70,000 web
designers in 130 nations, and is an active participant in the

World Wide Web Consortium, the international organization that
sets the standards for the web.  HWG projects include mailing
lists for members, online classes, and extensive web development
resources.  The Guild's website is http://www.hwg.org/.

About the Web Standards Project:
The WSP's primary objective is to advance the Web development
industry, by bringing attention to the existing and potential
problems involved with browser incapatibility. The coalition urges
browser manufactures to use open standards and support existing
W3C standards. The WSP's website is http://www.webstandards.org/.