[DannyBee]

"It has an effect because the W3C has authority and influence,"

No, it doesn't. In fact, for years the browser vendors told them to piss off and went with the whatwg :)

"As an extreme example (because it comes to mind), Martin Luther King had no real power; "

Martin Luther King had a church that followed him, and they were the people who started protesting with him. The W3C doesn't really have a church. Or at least, not one that is useful. If they protested it would be drowned out quite the same as 35 people marching somewhere in Alabama would be today. Additionally, MLK had people who believed in his cause. A very large number of people, who were enough to cause disruption. He just was able to motivate them.

That seems ... unlikely with the W3C.

So while you are right that if they had such power and influence, maybe they could attract people to the cause. But the likelihood of success is low, and they definitely aren't in the same situation as MLK.

[azakai]

No, I don't think you can deny the W3C has influence. You point out examples of that influence not being absolute - which of course it isn't. It still has important influence nonetheless.

[DannyBee]

Actually, i feel like I can. I feel like browser vendors were perfectly happy ignoring literally everything the W3C said for years.

So exactly whom does it have influence to?