Meeting minutes
Brent Zundel: Welcome to the weekly VCWG call
… We are meeting under our new charter. Lots to cover today. Mostly about workmode and how we want to handle all the various specifications
Brent Zundel: First, anyone want to introduce themselves?
Shigeya Suzuki: Shigeya from Keio univerity. Was involved previously
Kayode Ezike: Hi I am Kayode Ezike, been involved in the CCG specs. Happy to contribute
Susanne Guth-Orlowski: Susanne Guth-Orlowski, I am involved with digital product passports. Have brought this concept into european standards work. I hope to contribute to the work
Patrick St-Louis: My name is Patrick, been involved in CCG work for the last four or five years. Interested in VCALM spec. Also interested in education and other topics like traceability
Henrique Xavier: I am Henrique Xavier, from Brazil. I am here to follow up with the age verification discussions going on there
Elaine Wooton: I am Elaine Wooton, I am a specialist in design of secure document e.g. drivers licence. I am going to be leading the Verifiable Credential Barcode spec
Brent Zundel: I am often not looking at the hands in zoom, if you are able to join IRC that would be very helpful
Brent Zundel: moving forward
… Welcome everyone, I'm Brent Zundel Zundel a standards guy at Yubico, I have been chairing this group for a while
F2F Meeting
<Susanne Guth-Orlowski Guth-Orlowski> My name is Susanne Guth-Orlowski, Expert in Digital Product Passports and Digital Identity Wallets, European Regulation, JTC24 Standards on DPP System and Framework, UN/CEFACT Experts on UNTP and supply chain data exchange.
Brent Zundel: F2F meeting scheduled. GS1 has offered meeting space in Brussels, we will be meeting June 2nd to the 4th
<Phil Archer> Email with details of F2F
Brent Zundel: There will be 2.5 days of meeting with optional side group meetings the day before or after
… let us know so we can make sure the space is available
<Brent Zundel> https://
<Brent Zundel> https://
Brent Zundel: There is a spreadsheet available for sign up. See the link above
… Let us know if you are able to attend
… We have no set agenda yet, let us know if there is anything you definitely want us to cover and we can do our best to include
<Susanne Guth-Orlowski Guth-Orlowski> I have a full day assignment from the European Commission that week, but I can join in late afternoon or evenings.
FPWD VCDM 1.1
Brent Zundel: We are chartered to do maintenance of the VCDM. We will release a 2.1 version of the spec
Will Abramson: Isn't it 2.1
Brent Zundel: Yes, it is 2.1 thanks
Brent Zundel: Working on a proposal for the FPWD
<Brent Zundel> PROPOSAL: Publish a first public working draft of Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.1 using the short name vc-data-model-2.1
<Manu Sporny> +1
<Ivan Herman> +1
<Will Abramson> +1
<Phil Archer> +1
<Brent Zundel> +1
<Dave Longley> +1
<Ted Thibodeau Jr.> +1
<Jennie Meier> +1
<Joe Andrieu> +1
<Shigeya Suzuki> +1
<Susanne Guth-Orlowski Guth-Orlowski> +1
<Henrique Xavier> +1
RESOLUTION: Publish a first public working draft of Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.1 using the short name vc-data-model-2.1
New Charter overview
<Brent Zundel> https://
Brent Zundel: This is a link to our new charter
… We are charted through the end of March 2028
… We have a lot of work to do. Motivation, background and scope are the same. We no longer have protocol work marked out of scope though
… We have new normative specs - many. See the charter
… The BBS spec is essentially done, just waiting for a normative spec for the BBS crypto from ietf I think
Phil Archer: Related to render method and confidence method, the echidna system does not seem to be properly configured. So from the specs the publication date is not showing latest changes
<Ivan Herman> ack +
<Joe Andrieu> +1 for echidna setup
Phil Archer: Echida is designed to continously update the published document with the latest text as we push updates to the repo
Ivan Herman: For render method, this is not a problem of setting up Echida. It is setup correctly
… The HTML is incorrect. The extension to ReSpec handling the graphics is creating an error. We need to get the mermaid extension properly working
Ivan Herman: The confidence method, I havent looked at it. We did setup echida though
Brent Zundel: The previous iteration of the WG resolved to always use echida
… We are continuing to work under that resolution
… How bad would it be to use something other that mermaid?
Joe Andrieu: I think we might be well setup, we just haven't had any PRs accepted
… I will try the loop and reach out if there are issues
Manu Sporny: Re using other than mermaid. I will look into that this weekend, if I can't fix the bug then I will export images and use those
… Hoping to fix the bug though.
… Using images means we will have to generate prose for the images
Joe Andrieu: Manu Sporny reach out to me about mermaid stuff, Kevin Dean and I have been working through this plumbing in the past. I might be able to help
Phil Archer: I know lots of work has gone into the Confidence method. Can you please get a PR in, to see a more recent date than October 2025
Joe Andrieu: Happy to do that
Brent Zundel: Back to the charter
… In addition to this set of documents, there are also tentative deliverables. These are just as deliverable as other items in are charter pending having people willing and able to do the work. Including people willing to be editors for this work
… See the charter for the list of tentative deliverables
… As long as there are people to do the work, the group can begin work on thesespecs at any time
… Additionally, we are charted to maintain VCDM, Data Integrity and the existing cryptosuites, CIDs and bitstring status list
… Any issues raised against these specs we will triage. Mostly editorial changes will get in. Others will be queued for later work
Manu Sporny: The quantum safe cryptosuite, is being worked on by Greg. Google have moved up there post quantum timeline by 6 years
… We may want to nudge this work forwards at a faster rate than expected
… May need reprioritizing
Ivan Herman: Coming back to the maintenance items. There are some exceptions on the rule for making normative changes
… Any security issues that require normative changes are allowed
… The VCDM has references to the two extension documents that we already work on, changes to the spec that are related to these are allowed even if normative
Phil Archer: I wanted to talk to the product passport work. There are people joining the working group and the W3C to get this work done.
Brent Zundel: Any questions?
VCWG Work Mode
Brent Zundel: We have a lot that we want to accomplish
… A single weekly meeting is not going to be sufficient
… The way we have been operating for the last few months, is to have alternative meetings or task forces focused on the individual specifications
… E.g. render method and confidence method. They meet, discuss and then report back to the main group where they need input and review
<Susanne Guth-Orlowski Guth-Orlowski> Not sure, when I was expected to speak up, but I am ready to work on the Digital Product Passport Vocabulary as editor.
Brent Zundel: The chairs believe this has gone well and propose using this moving forward
… The W3C process enables us to create task forces. Members of task forces can manage the calendar. Participants of the task force will see these updated calendar events
… We feel this maps well with the work mode we are looking to pursue
… Looking for feedback and input from the group
… We were imagining a task force per specification that we are pursuing as a group
… Open to other suggestions
Ivan Herman: A task force gets its own mailing list. It also creates its own github team, that can be used on specific repos
… This is done automatically. It will take some time to setup each task force
Brent Zundel: For those who have not been involved with the VCDM, most of the work related to this group happens in Github. Commenting on issues and PRs etc.
… If anyone is not comfortable with Github, please let us know and I would be happy to help you get up to speed
… Please dont let unfamiliarity with the tools stop you from engaging
… Do reach out if we can support you
Manu Sporny: +1 to the work mode plan. It maps well.
<Susanne Guth-Orlowski Guth-Orlowski> I would need a refreshment on GitHub and the best practice on how it is used for W3C standards. Thank you.
Manu Sporny: I want to make sure we don't overdo it in terms of process and mailing list etc
… Are we moving over the new google meet infrastructure? And could we do that by next week?
… I think VCALM is ready for this, maybe verifiable issuers and verifiers too
Brent Zundel: For the task force calls, yes use the google meet infrastructure and autoscribing
… We anticipate also beginning to use that in the main call
… There are a couple of things it would be nice to tweak here
… Also, yes you can begin meeting next week. If you already have a meeting time, then I dont have a problem with that group continuing to meet. Please as much as possible use W3C infrastructure etc
<Henrique Xavier> I would need a refreshment on best practice on how to use github for W3C standards. Thank you.
Brent Zundel: I am hoping the infra setup will be done by next week. Please meet either way
Ivan Herman: I dont have any objections regarding google meet. I have two comments
… I dont know how to setup google meet entries for all the groups. The W3C infrastructure is based on zoom.
… The other thing to keep in mind is there might be some competition here. Otto is exploring in the DIDWG, how to use zoom to generate an auto scribing in IRC. This is probably some weeks or months away
Ivan Herman: Different topic. Presume that many of the documents currently discussed are on the CCG github. These should all be moved across to the W3C github. This is something I can do.
… At least if they are on the CCG repository. Other github repos, are more challenging
… This is important, for patent policy approach
Elaine Wooton: I dont think there is an existing home for verifiable credentials barcode. We need to make one, perhaps we could share this time with another work item
… We need to decide on another time
Brent Zundel: Hoping we have time today to go into the logistics
… Otherwise please use the VCWG mailing list to make those arrangements
… Aternating with other task forces makes sense if groups do not need weekly meetings
Brent Zundel: The chairs are not going to organize this, just establish guardrails
Manu Sporny: Responding to Ivan Herman, I am aware of the zoom alternatives. I think the zoom tool will be a better solution longterm
… In the meantime, I wanted to get up autoscribing and autopublishing
… +1 to moving the repos over. I set Ivan Herman as admin on all these repos
Manu Sporny: AWaiting a couple of people to sign of on the IPR for the specs
… +1 to Elaine Wooton's suggestion to bundle meetings
… Suggest bundling the barcode with the data integrity at least. Idea being to rotate agendas. Idea being we meet weekly and progress relative issues
Manu Sporny: One of the concerns here is not getting enough eyes on the work as it progresses, bundling can help
Phil Archer: Please be aware when setting up task force meetings, new people have joined and they do not necessarily live in the EU and US
… keep this in mind when selecting meeting times
Brent Zundel: One option is for our main call to also alternate. We have tried this in the past, but have always struggled with engagement
… Happy to try this again
… Please self organize as task forces. The chairs will make sure the main meetings have agenda, notes and sit within the W3C process
… Task forces will also need an agenda shared at least 24 hours before the call
… Additionally there needs to be a github repo under the W3C. Sounds like that is in progress. Just being explicit
Joe Andrieu: Manu Sporny, I think we might be open to bundling. However, what we are exploring is finding a better time give Denken Chen is based in Taiwan
Denken Chen: I am starting to setup an APAC series in the CCG. I will try to get momentum in the APAC region. Aim to move people interested in the spec work to the relevant task forces
<Ivan Herman> w3c/
Ivan Herman: To make these things practical, I need some help.
… The WG has its own github repo. Please raise an issue for each task force telling me the name, shortname and responsible people of the task force
… Also the repository you want me to move across to W3C
Brent Zundel: I think using issues in the vc-wg github repo is a great idea
Manu Sporny: Noting the APAC/EU/US timezone challenges
… We are already moving the verifiable recognition call to a time that can work with austrailia
… Wondering about the interplay between the main working group and the task force. How are we going to ensure the main working group is up to speed about the latest decisions being made across the task forces
Brent Zundel: Good question. We have been talking about leaders of task forces. From the chairs perspective, the editors of the specifications are leaders of the task force
… For each work item, that is going to be a task force, we want to know who is willing to be involved, who is going to be an editor, when are calls going to happen
Phil Archer: My view is we will need to discuss with Ivan Herman as we go forward
<Ivan Herman> +1 to Phil Archer
<Dave Longley> +1
Phil Archer: We will need to make best use of the main VCWG call time. I see it as an important coordination role. Whether you are actively taking part in these task forces, you should know what the work involves for each of them
<Brent Zundel> +1 Phil
<Manu Sporny> +1 that sounds good
<Elaine Wooton> +1
Joe Andrieu: On confidence method, I like the idea of the main call having 1 or 2 task forces reporting in per call
… The aim being to bring people up to speed across the WG
<Phil Archer> +1 to Joe
Joe Andrieu: The other item, I think both render and confidence method are setup in github and don't need additional logistics
Brent Zundel: Some logistics are included. Eg. meeting time
… Additionally, there will actually be a defined task force for these other work items. If you are interested, please join
Brent Zundel: For confidence and render method, there will be some steps that arent needed. But still some work required to setup the formal task forces etc
… This will take some time. Ask for patience. Keep working in the meantime. Feel free to use the main mailing list as required
Brent Zundel: Thanks for your time today