Aiming to familiarize Web developers with the open standards that can be used to build Web applications, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C (News – Alert)) has launched a website dedicated to such efforts. Called Web Platform Docs, it offers tutorials and related documentation covering major Web standards today, including the emerging HTML5.

W3C launched the site in collaboration with Adobe, Facebook, Google, HP, Microsoft, Mozilla (News – Alert), Nokia, Opera, and others. W3C organization intends to make this new community-driven site a comprehensive and authoritative source for Web developer documentation.

In a statement, Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director, said, “People in the Web community — including browser makers, authoring tool makers, and leading edge developers and designers — have tremendous experience and practical knowledge about the Web." He added, "Web Platform Docs is an ambitious project where all of us who are passionate about the Web can share knowledge and help one another."

Similarly, Ian Jacobs, the W3C head of marketing and communications, said, "Although we have produced material for designers and developers in the past, this is the W3C’s biggest scale effort specifically for documentation."

W3C is positioning Web Platform Docs as a one-stop shop for learning the Web technologies and the associated standards. The consortium had originally depended on third parties for the documentation of its standards. These include instructional websites, book publishers and vendors.

W3C marketing executive thinks that the Web Platform Docs will help different parties to consolidate their efforts, and eliminate any duplication.

W3C said that as the Open Web Platform evolves, the entire community, including the original stewards and new stewards, will help maintain and improve the content. All materials on the site will be freely available and licensed to foster sharing and reuse, according to W3C.