The World Wide Web Consortium has announced the membership of its Technical Architecture Group, charged with overseeing the developing architecture of the Web.

The tasks assigned to the TAG include documenting and building consensus around principles of Web architecture and to interpret these when necessary; resolving issues involving general Web architecture brought to the TAG, and to help coordinate cross-technology architecture developments inside and outside the W3C.

Although the TAG does not replace the Director, Tim Berners-Lee, as the final arbiter of the W3C's decision making process, it is likely that Berners-Lee will be guided by the group on issues of Web architecture.

The composition of the group, an obviously critical issue, comes as good news; filled as it is with respected and experienced members of the XML and Web world. Five TAG participants are elected by the W3C membership, and three appointed by Berners-Lee. The elected members include Paul Cotton, Roy Fielding, David Orchard, Norm Walsh and Stuart Williams. The appointed members are Tim Bray, Dan Connolly and Chris Lilley.

Additional good news comes in the form of a statement that TAG discussions, status reports and charter are to be public. More information is available at the TAG home page.