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<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>The web is unversioned</title>
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<section id="abstract">
<p>
This finding sets out why associating a particular set of
technologies with a version number for the
web goes against the principle that there is one web.
</p>
</section>
<section id="sotd">
<p>This document is an early draft and does not reflect the consensus of the TAG.</p>
</section>
## The web platform does not have versions
The web does not use versioning at a platform level,
because it benefits from [continuous evolution](https://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/evergreen-web/).
The web platform is made up of many different technologies.
A large community drives the development of these technologies,
and some are dependent on each other.
Versioning may be helpful for individual features,
so that we can iterate on them independantly of each other.
There are also efforts such as [Baseline](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Baseline/Compatibility),
which provides the concept of an unversioned snapshot
with interoperability guarantees,
without assigning a version to the web platform as a whole.
This allows the community to focus on the merits
of each technical contribution to the web
in a distributed and modular way.
Version numbers such as "Web 2.0" have been used
for educational, communications or marketing purposes,
which is different from versioning in the sense that software is versioned.
Some of these uses are beneficial to the community,
for example for developers who learned to work with particular technologies
at a particular point in the web platform's evolution.
However in other cases this terminology has been used to imply
that a set of technologies are a part of the web platform
when this is not the case, which may be confusing to both
users and developers.
## Incremental evolution is the path forward
The web is a stable platform.
Enhancements should always be incremental,
in a positive direction (leave the web better than you found it),
while breaking as little as possible
(ideally nothing - for example,
through [polyfill prototyping](https://www.w3.org/2001/tag/doc/polyfills/)).
The most effective way to do this is through distinct contributions.
Remember that it takes significantly more effort to remove a feature from the web
than to add a feature.
## Contributions are made through consensus
The web platform is governed by standards.
Contributions are made by explaining the technical merits of the proposal,
with clear use cases, and working with the community to achieve consensus
and involvement by multiple implementers.
Technologies which do not go through this process should not be advertised
as being part of the web platform.
## Conclusion
It is important to develop the web platform in line with the principle that
there is [one web](https://www.w3.org/TR/ethical-web-principles/#oneweb).
Versioning should be constrained to individual features,
and not applied to the web platform as a whole.
</body>
</html>