Between implementing brand-new technology and fixing bugs in existing code, the folks who make web browsers have no end of important work to do. The problem space is so vast, in fact, that even deciding where to start is a challenge. That’s where you come in! But first, some background.
The Web Platform Tests Interop Team has been informing web browsers’ priorities since 2021. Experts from Apple, Bocoup, Google, Igalia, Microsoft and Mozilla have been fostering participation from across the web ecosystem to identify the most impactful opportunities for development (“focus areas”) and blockers for automated testing (“investigations”). They work through the lens of interoperability because what good is a feature if it’s inaccessible to some users?
Every year, the Team has tracked progress toward interoperability with a public Interop dashboard. Looking at the board for 2024, we can see excellent results on tech ranging from declarative shadow DOM to popover content to styling for scrollbars.
With results like that, who wouldn’t want to give input on the group’s focus in 2025? Web developers might be surprised to know that they already are contributing–the Interop team routinely consults both the code deployed to the web and the discussion around that code.
Whether you’re a web developer or not, you can take a much more active role in the process. By submitting a proposal, you can bring opportunities to the attention of the group and use your voice to make a case for its significance. The proposal guide includes everything you need to know to write a great proposal, and you can also learn from past proposals–be they for focus areas or for investigations. If you’d like any assistance in writing a proposal or have any questions on how you can get involved with Interop 2025 feel free to reach out to us at admin@bocoup.com. Just remember: the proposal deadline is October 9.
