Blockchain technology at its core is a distributed database, it does not imply nor require the existance of a "token" (or coin per se). If they want to try such a system, where is the harm?
"it does not imply nor require the existance of a "token" - clearly you don't understand what a blockchain is either.
Lee very often claims to be the father if the internet - and stands by silently when journalists mistakely call him the inventor of the internet. He is total bullshit. www was merely an implied agreement that would encode the hyperlink on that portion of the Internet. It is the smallest dumbest advance and contribution to the entire picture. He did almost nothing. He takes credit for the whole thing.
W3C pissed their britches when Microsoft wouldn't follow their rules for browser definition when Microsoft introduced Internet Explorer. W3C has been working for more than 10 years for in browser payments - only to get smoked by bitcoin. Now, they want to experiment with blockchain without a fundamental understanding why the token can't be severed from the chain? Hahahahahah! They proved they are morons again. But I agree with you, there is no harm in them proving they are stupid yet again. Let them try such a system.
By the way, "Blockchain technology at its core is a distributed database" - this is incorrect. Blockchain is more precisely distributed concensus. Without the token, the concensus become meaningless. Nearly every database that ever was is a far better database than blockchain. Except for the concensus part. That is the key. W3C will have a very shitty database - with no consensus mechanism. Don't worry, they have been working on meaningless broken shit since they were formed.