Mozilla brings Microsoft, Google, the W3C, Samsung together to create cross-browser documentation on MDN

Today, Mozilla is announcing a plan that grows collaboration with Microsoft, Google, and other industry leaders on MDN Web Docs. The goal is to consolidate information about web development for multiple browsers - not just Firefox. To support this collaboration, we're forming a Product Advisory Board that will formalize existing relationships and guide our progress in the years to come.

Why are we doing this? To make web development just a little easier.

"One common thread we hear from web developers is that documentation on how to build for the cross-browser web is too fragmented," said Daniel Appelquist, Director of Developer Advocacy at Samsung Internet and Co-Chair of W3C's Technical Architecture Group. "I'm excited to be part of the efforts being made with MDN Web Docs to address this issue and to bring better and more comprehensive documentation to developers worldwide."

More than six million web developers and designers currently visit MDN Web Docs each month - and readership is growing at a spectacular rate of 40 percent, year over year. Popular content includes articles and tutorials on JavaScript, CSS and HTML, as well as detailed, comprehensive documentation of new technologies like Web APIs.

Community contributions are at the core of MDN's success. Thousands of volunteers have helped build and refine MDN over the past 12 years. In this year alone, 8,021 users made 76,203 edits, greatly increasing the scope and quality of the content. Cross-browser documentation contributions include input from writers at Google and Microsoft; Microsoft writers have made more than 5,000 edits so far in 2017. This cross-browser collaboration adds valuable content on browser compatibility and new features of the web platform. Going forward, Microsoft writers will focus their Web API documentation efforts on MDN and will redirect relevant pages from Microsoft Developer Network to MDN.

Now, the new Product Advisory Board for MDN is creating a more formal way to absorb all that's going on across browsers and standards groups. Initial board members include representatives from Microsoft, Google, Samsung, and the W3C, with additional members possible in the future. By strengthening our relationships with experts across the industry, the Product Advisory Board will ensure MDN documentation stays relevant, is browser-agnostic, and helps developers keep up with the most important aspects of the web platform.

"The reach of the web across devices and platforms is what makes it unique, and Microsoft is committed to helping it continue to thrive," said Jason Weber, Partner Director of Program Management, Microsoft Edge. "We're thrilled to team up with Mozilla, Google, and Samsung to create a single, great web standards documentation set on MDN for web developers everywhere."

Mozilla's vision for the MDN Product Advisory Board is to build collaboration that helps the MDN community, collectively, maintain MDN as the most comprehensive, complete, and trusted reference documenting the most important aspects of modern browsers and web standards.

The board's charter is to provide advice and feedback on MDN content strategy, strategic direction, and platform/site features. Mozilla remains committed to MDN as an open source reference for web developers, and Mozilla's team of technical writers will continue to work on MDN and collaborate with volunteers and corporate contributors.

"Google is committed to building a better web for both users and developers," said Meggin Kearney, Lead Technical Writer, Web Developer Relations at Google. "We're excited to work with Mozilla, Microsoft, and Samsung to help guide MDN towards becoming the best source of up-to-date, comprehensive documentation for developers on the web."

MDN directly supports Mozilla's overarching mission. We strive to ensure the Internet is a global public resource that is open and accessible to all. We believe that our award-winning documentation helps web developers build better web experiences - which also adhere to established standards and work across platforms and devices.

MDN Board Members

• Ali Spivak, Chair, Mozilla
• Daniel Appelquist, Samsung Internet
• Dominique Hazael-Massieux, W3C
• Meggin Kearney, Google
• Patrick Kettner, Microsoft
• Christopher Mills, Mozilla
• Erika Doyle Navara, Microsoft
• Robert Nyman, Google
• Kadir Topal, Mozilla

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