W3C

Short for World Wide Web Consortium. Is "a forum for information, commerce, communication, and collective understanding." Their goal is to develop interoperable technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead the web to its full potential. As the Internet becomes more mature, website design standards are now an essential part of a website. These standards are followed by industry leaders such as Microsoft, Apple, Macromedia, AOL, and others. W3C's mission is to "lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web." Want more information on the W3C? Check out their website.