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X.Org Foundation
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<h2 id="organization">Organization</h2> <p>The X.Org Foundation was founded on 22 January 2004.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p><p>The modern X.Org Foundation came into being when the body that oversaw X standards and published the official reference implementation joined forces with former <a href="/facts/XFree86/Lq8SYGCF">XFree86</a> developers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> The creation of the Foundation marked a radical change in the governance of X (see <a href="/facts/X_Window_System/ac2vRIQL">the history of the X Window System</a>). Whereas the stewards of X since 1988 (including the previous X.Org, part of <a href="/facts/The_Open_Group/uRoDdEae">The Open Group</a>) had been vendor organizations, the Foundation is led by software developers and using community development on the <a href="/facts/The_Cathedral_and_the_Bazaar/XA9dqWTF">bazaar model</a>, which relies on outside involvement. Membership is also open to individuals, with corporate membership being in the form of sponsorship. </p><p>In 2005 the X.Org Foundation applied for 501(c)(3) non-profit status. In 2012, with the help of the <a href="/facts/Software_Freedom_Law_Center/MpRVTpwa">Software Freedom Law Center</a> (SFLC), the Foundation gained the status. In 2013, the Foundation lost the status because they did not fill a tax form (it had no income to declare and did not get any info from SFLC) and in the same year it regained the status, after clearing up the issue.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> In 2016, the X.Org Foundation joined <a href="/facts/Software_in_the_Public_Interest/yoEPomot">Software in the Public Interest</a> (SPI)<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> who would manage the bureaucracy.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>According to an October 2018 article published by <a href="/facts/Phoronix/UvK56oPf">Phoronix</a>, <a href="/facts/Freedesktop.org/qGlctGYA">freedesktop.org</a> considered joining the X.Org Foundation.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a>[<i>when?</i>] </p><p>In 2023, The X.Org Foundation decided to join <a href="/facts/Software_Freedom_Conservancy/rPb8xmyQ">Software Freedom Conservancy</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="fields-of-activity">Fields of activity</h2> <p>The X.Org Foundation does not provide technical guidance, roadmaps or deadlines, releases or supervision of any kind. </p><p>The X.Org Foundation does provide communication tools (in relation with <a href="/facts/Freedesktop.org/qGlctGYA">freedesktop.org</a>), an annual physical meeting and money to help developing the free graphics stack. </p> <ul><li>a physical annual meeting (X.Org Developer's Conference)</li> <li>Travel sponsorship:</li> <li>The X.Org Foundation participated as an organization of the <a href="/facts/Google_Summer_of_Code/M8rDIn6W">Google Summer of Code</a> (GSoC). This allows students to participate to X.Org-related projects over the summer .</li> <li>Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC): EVoC is a GSoC-like project, funded by the X.Org Foundation. It allows students to participate to X.Org-related projects during their vacation, at any time of the year.</li> <li>Communication: Google+[<i>needs update</i>] and Twitter Google+/YouTube: Store and/or link to talk videos, slides, blog articles or G+ posts related to projects under our umbrella (Martin Peres); Twitter: Mostly security issues, random updates (Alan Coopersmith).</li> <li>There is an X.Org developer guide written by Alan Coopersmith, Matt Dew and the X.Org team; edited by Bart Massey at <a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/guide/">https://www.x.org/wiki/guide/</a></li></ul> <p>The X.Org Foundation organizes the annual <a href="/facts/X.Org_Developer%27s_Conference/YGJCfVRM">X.Org Developer's Conference</a> (XDC) and sponsors students to work on X.Org as part of their <a href="/facts/X.Org_Endless_Vacation_of_Code/YGJCfVRM">X.Org Endless Vacation of Code</a> (EVoC) initiative.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>The <a href="/facts/X.Org_Server/7AaPmYtV">X.Org Server</a> and <a href="/facts/Xlib/2fKMo9BF">xlib</a> are the <a href="/facts/Reference_implementation/k9B97xel">reference implementation</a> of the <a href="/facts/X_Window_System_core_protocol/RytfxzSg">X protocol</a>, and is commonly used on Linux and UNIX; it is the fundamental technology underlying both the modern <a href="/facts/GNOME/EFMNBmpR">GNOME</a> and <a href="/facts/KDE/PCh32IWA">KDE</a> desktops and older <a href="/facts/Common_Desktop_Environment/Tama5QTW">CDE</a> desktop environment; applications written for any of these environments can be run simultaneously. </p> <p>Along with reference implementation of X protocol, the X.org Foundation hosts development of several <a href="/facts/Utility_software/Hn3XtISQ">utilities</a> and example applications, including xcalc on-screen <a href="/facts/Calculator/eeLfRS8L">calculator</a>, xclock simple digital and analog clock, xedit text editor, xload periodically updated <a href="/facts/Histogram/oMmvqGEA">histogram</a> of the average <a href="/facts/Load_(computing)/J2v5XarQ">system load</a>, <a href="/facts/Xterm/XcS74d7I">xterm</a> terminal emulator, and xeyes which shows, by default, a pair of eyes that follow the <a href="/facts/Pointer_(user_interface)/bGhgwPSq">mouse cursor</a>. </p><p>As of April 2013, the Board of Directors consisted of Alan Coopersmith, Alex Deucher, Martin Peres, Matt Dew, Matthias Hopf, Peter Hutterer (Secretary), Stuart Kreitman (Treasurer), and <a href="/facts/Keith_Packard/Aprjdw29">Keith Packard</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="xorg-developers-conference"> X.Org Developer's Conference</h2> <p>The physical meeting is the X.Org Developer's Conference (XDC/XDS),<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> which is organized once a year, around September/October and alternates between North America and Europe and lasts for 3 days. The board of directors can cover the travel and accommodation expenses to the developers who couldn't attend an X.Org-related conference (XDC or FOSDEM?) otherwise. </p> <h3>Conference history</h3> <table><tbody><tr><th>Event and year</th><th>Date</th><th>Host city</th><th>Venue</th><th>Resources</th><th>Themes</th></tr><tr><td>XDC2004</td><td>28–30 April</td><td><a href="/facts/Cambridge,_Massachusetts/k9UMIJ7U">Cambridge, Massachusetts</a>, USA</td><td>Cambridge Research Laboratory</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2004/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2004/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2005</td><td>12–14 February</td><td><a href="/facts/Cambridge,_Massachusetts/k9UMIJ7U">Cambridge, Massachusetts</a>, USA</td><td>Cambridge Research Laboratory</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2005/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2005/</a></td><td><a href="/facts/X.Org_Server/7AaPmYtV">X.Org Server</a>, <a href="/facts/Cairo_(graphics)/FuAWHozI">Cairo</a>, <a href="/facts/Xephyr/TvtTjnyh">xephyr</a>, ...</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2006</td><td>8–10 February</td><td><a href="/facts/Santa_Clara,_California/lkQTssCF">Santa Clara, California</a>, USA</td><td><a href="/facts/Sun_Microsystems/VJ9EzEFd">Sun Microsystems</a> campus</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2006/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2006/</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Xgl/RPQGQ1QM">Xgl</a>,</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2007</td><td>7–9 February</td><td><a href="/facts/Menlo_Park,_California/mHQVj2Jx">Menlo Park, California</a>, USA</td><td><a href="/facts/TechShop/KNdHk37N">TechShop</a> Menlo Park facility</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2007/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2007/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDS2007</td><td>10–12 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Cambridge/gNRdbmwK">Cambridge</a>, United Kingdom</td><td><a href="/facts/Clare_College,_Cambridge/GQVK3RGX">Clare College</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2007/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2007/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2008</td><td>16–18 April</td><td><a href="/facts/Mountain_View,_California/dm29hKlV">Mountain View, California</a>, USA</td><td><a href="/facts/Google/GT9Sugza">Google</a> campus</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2008/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2008/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDS2008</td><td>3–5 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Edinburgh/PcsoaK9h">Edinburgh</a>, United Kingdom</td><td><a href="/facts/Edinburgh_Zoo/wQXjwCwL">Edinburgh Zoo</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2008/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2008/</a></td><td><a href="/facts/X_keyboard_extension/sKVh89dD">XKB</a>, <a href="/facts/Multi-Pointer_X/CdJQzA56">MPX</a>, ...</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2009</td><td>28–30 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Portland,_Oregon/wwBx1Hrv">Portland, Oregon</a>, USA</td><td>University Place Hotel, <a href="/facts/Portland_State_University/uzc2z68w">Portland State University</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2009/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2009/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDS2010</td><td>16–18 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Toulouse/VLBjLxD8">Toulouse</a>, France</td><td><a href="/facts/Toulouse_1_University_Capitole/dKovxMV6">Toulouse 1 University Capitole</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2010/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDS2010/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2011</td><td>12–14 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Chicago/yPMokrXH">Chicago</a>, Illinois, USA</td><td><a href="/facts/McCormick_Tribune_Campus_Center/7eftULtd">McCormick Tribune Campus Center</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2011/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2011/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2012</td><td>19–21 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Nuremberg/Bht6TsP4">Nuremberg</a>, Germany</td><td><a href="/facts/SUSE_S.A./qQvcGEUX">SUSE</a> campus</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2012/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2012/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2013</td><td>23–25 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Portland,_Oregon/wwBx1Hrv">Portland</a>, Oregon, USA</td><td>University Place Hotel, <a href="/facts/Portland_State_University/uzc2z68w">Portland State University</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2013/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2013/</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Direct_Rendering_Manager/AjCBBvrU">DRM</a>, <a href="/facts/Direct_Rendering_Infrastructure/gY65go57">DRI3</a>, <a href="/facts/XCB/fpbewG2N">XCB</a>, <a href="/facts/Nouveau_(software)/pEQRuxsH">nouveau</a>, etc.</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2014</td><td>8–10 October</td><td><a href="/facts/Bordeaux/k0yG4a8e">Bordeaux</a>, France</td><td><a href="/facts/Laboratoire_Bordelais_de_Recherche_en_Informatique/Qps9eXw0">Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique</a> (LaBRI)</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2014/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2014/</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Wayland_(display_server_protocol)/I9I1TbEG">Wayland</a>, <a href="/facts/Tizen/gNrC0mnG">Tizen</a>, <a href="/facts/FreeBSD/RKsFTm7F">FreeBSD</a>, <a href="/facts/DragonflyBSD/U6cvpDJR">DragonflyBSD</a>, <a href="/facts/Mesa_3D/oxcVI6bd">Mesa 3D</a>, etc.</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2015</td><td>16–18 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Toronto/cnXH7881">Toronto</a>, Canada</td><td><a href="/facts/Seneca_College/nPbHLDrS">Seneca@York campus, Seneca College</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2015/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2015/</a></td><td>GLSL compiler, <a href="/facts/Nouveau_(software)/pEQRuxsH">Nouveau</a>, <a href="/facts/Libinput/I9I1TbEG">libinput</a>, <a href="/facts/Freedreno/h1Wo2nME">Freedreno</a>, Etnaviv, <a href="/facts/Amdgpu/xSPsflW0">amdgpu</a>, <a href="/facts/Direct_Rendering_Manager/AjCBBvrU">drm</a>, etc.</td></tr><tr><td>XDC2016</td><td>20–22 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Helsinki/9za9r3jS">Helsinki</a>, Finland</td><td><a href="/facts/Haaga-Helia_University_of_Applied_Sciences/p6SSQPNT">Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2016/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2016/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2017</td><td>20–22 September</td><td><a href="/facts/Mountain_View,_California/dm29hKlV">Mountain View, California</a>, USA</td><td>Google Bldg 1055</td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2017/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2017/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2018</td><td>26–28 September</td><td><a href="/facts/A_Coru%C3%B1a/07gRxNWd">A Coruña</a>, <a href="/facts/Galicia_(Spain)/9gQqlueg">Galicia (Spain)</a></td><td>Computer Science Faculty of <a href="/facts/University_of_A_Coru%C3%B1a/ulbDLqNT">University of A Coruña</a></td><td><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2018/">https://www.x.org/wiki/Events/XDC2018/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2019</td><td>2–4 October</td><td><a href="/facts/Montreal/uQQaWd1b">Montreal</a>, <a href="/facts/Canada/cWWFM8oc">Canada</a></td><td>Concordia University Conference Centre</td><td><a href="https://archive.today/20190521041245/https://xdc2019.x.org/">[1]</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2020</td><td>16-18 September</td><td>Virtual</td><td>Virtual</td><td><a href="https://xdc2020.x.org/">https://xdc2020.x.org/</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20200707212735/https://xdc2020.x.org/">Archived</a> 7 July 2020 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2021</td><td>15-17 September</td><td>Virtual</td><td>Virtual</td><td><a href="https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/1/">https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/1/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2022</td><td>4-6 October</td><td><a href="/facts/Minneapolis/gEsXsP3d">Minneapolis</a>, <a href="/facts/Minnesota/ncgVuC4Q">Minnesota</a></td><td><a href="/facts/University_of_St._Thomas_(Minnesota)/EnGgD3Wj">University of St. Thomas</a></td><td><a href="https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/2/">https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/2/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2023</td><td>17-19 October</td><td><a href="/facts/Coru%C3%B1a/07gRxNWd">Coruña</a>, <a href="/facts/Spain/bIyrB8EY">Spain</a></td><td>PALEXCO</td><td><a href="https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/4/">https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/4/</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>XDC2024</td><td>9-11 October</td><td><a href="/facts/Montr%C3%A9al/uQQaWd1b">Montréal</a>, <a href="/facts/Canada/cWWFM8oc">Canada</a></td><td>3 Brasseurs Saint-Paul</td><td><a href="https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/6/">https://indico.freedesktop.org/event/6/</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="xorg-endless-vacation-of-code-evoc"> X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC)</h2> <p>X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC) is a <a href="/facts/Google_Summer_of_Code/M8rDIn6W">Google Summer of Code</a> (GSoC)-like project initiated in 2008 funded by the X.Org Foundation. It allows students to participate to X.Org-related projects during their vacation, at any time of the year. </p><p>An example of an accepted EVoC project from 2014 is to work on <a href="/facts/Nouveau_(software)/pEQRuxsH">nouveau</a>, the <a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source_graphics_device_driver/h1Wo2nME">free and open-source graphics device driver</a> for <a href="/facts/GeForce/HhHGHp4Y">GeForce</a>-branded GPUs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> NVA3/5/8 are the engineering names of the <a href="/facts/Tesla_(microarchitecture)/npl8AHbl">Tesla</a>-based GT215, GT216 and GT218.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>Free and open-source software portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source_graphics_device_driver/h1Wo2nME">Free and open-source graphics device driver</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_free-software_events/tWaKFRkr">List of free-software events</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/XorgFoundation/">X.Org Foundation website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Proposed Bylaws of the X.Org Foundation" (PDF). 22 March 2015. <a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/BylawReview/ProposedBylawsSPI2015.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.x.org/wiki/BylawReview/ProposedBylawsSPI2015.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"FOSDEM2014: State of the X.Org Foundation". 1 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014. <a href="https://fosdem.org/2014/schedule/event/xorg_foundation/" target="_blank">https://fosdem.org/2014/schedule/event/xorg_foundation/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"X.Org Foundation releases X Window System X11R6.7". LWN.net. 7 April 2004. Retrieved 14 September 2014. <a href="https://lwn.net/Articles/79302/" target="_blank">https://lwn.net/Articles/79302/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Coopersmith, Alan (28 May 2004). "The difference between Xorg and XFree86". Retrieved 17 September 2018. <a href="https://blogs.oracle.com/solaris/the-difference-between-xorg-and-xfree86-v2" target="_blank">https://blogs.oracle.com/solaris/the-difference-between-xorg-and-xfree86-v2</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"The X.Org Foundation and the 501(c)(3) status". <a href="https://who-t.blogspot.fr/2013/10/the-xorg-foundation-and-501c3-status.html" target="_blank">https://who-t.blogspot.fr/2013/10/the-xorg-foundation-and-501c3-status.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Michael Larabel (23 May 2023). "X.Org Foundation To Become Part Of The SFC". <a href="https://www.phoronix.com/news/X.Org-SFC-Vote-Approved" target="_blank">https://www.phoronix.com/news/X.Org-SFC-Vote-Approved</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"State of the X.org foundation". archive.fosdem.org. <a href="https://archive.fosdem.org/2014/schedule/event/xorg_foundation/" target="_blank">https://archive.fosdem.org/2014/schedule/event/xorg_foundation/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"FreeDesktop.org Might Formally Join Forces with the X.Org Foundation". <a href="https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=FreeDesktop-org-Xorg-Forces" target="_blank">https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=FreeDesktop-org-Xorg-Forces</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Michael Larabel (23 May 2023). "X.Org Foundation To Become Part Of The SFC". <a href="https://www.phoronix.com/news/X.Org-SFC-Vote-Approved" target="_blank">https://www.phoronix.com/news/X.Org-SFC-Vote-Approved</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"The X.Org Endless Vacation of Code (EVoC)". 21 September 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2014. <a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/XorgEVoC" target="_blank">https://www.x.org/wiki/XorgEVoC</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"The X.Org Foundation Board of Directors". 19 April 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013. <a href="https://www.x.org/wiki/BoardOfDirectors" target="_blank">https://www.x.org/wiki/BoardOfDirectors</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"The 2013 "State of X.Org" report". LWN.net. 22 February 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2013. <a href="https://lwn.net/Articles/539620/" target="_blank">https://lwn.net/Articles/539620/</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"[Nouveau] EVoC Proposal: REclock - Reverse-engineer and implement NVA3/5/8 Voltage- and Frequency Scaling in Nouveau". freedesktop.org. 12 June 2014. <a href="https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/nouveau/2014-June/017577.html" target="_blank">https://lists.freedesktop.org/archives/nouveau/2014-June/017577.html</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Engineering vs. marketing names". freedesktop.org. <a href="https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/" target="_blank">https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/wiki/CodeNames/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>