Why has P3P taken so long to reach its current status?
It is true that P3P has taken an unusually long time to reach its current status. There are several reasons for this delay, but the main reason has been the need to include a wide range of players. From its inception P3P was envisioned as a specification with a social purpose. The P3P process has been deliberative and thoughtful. W3C and the P3P working groups have actively solicited comments from all interested parties and have even proactively contacted others from across the spectrum and across the globe. We have sought out and engaged critics on all sides. We believe that doing so is critical to P3P’s success, and will continue to do so in the next stages of P3P. This outreach has taken time and effort. Other major causes for delay were dependencies on other technical developments. The P3P specification had to be reworked to properly use or interact with RDF, XML Schemas, and other specification that were developed in parallel with P3P. The patent concerns around P3P also caused im
