Skip to content

MAINTAINERS.adoc

Latest commit

 

History

History
251 lines (176 loc) · 7.5 KB

MAINTAINERS.adoc

File metadata and controls

251 lines (176 loc) · 7.5 KB
Raw

Maintainers & Governance

Tri-Perimeter Contribution Framework (TPCF)

This project uses a graduated trust model with three perimeters to balance security, collaboration, and emotional safety.

Current Maintainers

Perimeter 1: Core Maintainers (Maximum 5)

Name GitHub Role Since Specialization

TBD

@maintainer1

Lead Maintainer

2024-01

Architecture, Security

TBD

@maintainer2

Release Manager

2024-01

CI/CD, Distribution

Open

-

Crypto Lead

-

Post-Quantum Crypto

Open

-

Community Lead

-

Code of Conduct, TPCF

Open

-

Documentation Lead

-

Guides, Examples

Responsibilities: - ✅ Merge to main branch - ✅ Cut releases and publish to package registries - ✅ Security vulnerability triage and patching - ✅ TPCF perimeter promotion decisions - ✅ Code of Conduct enforcement - ✅ Strategic roadmap and architecture decisions

Election Process: - Nominated by existing Perimeter 1 or self-nomination - 2/3 majority vote by existing Perimeter 1 maintainers - 6-month minimum contribution history - Demonstrated technical excellence and community values alignment

Term Limits: - No term limits, but annual re-confirmation vote - Voluntary step-down encouraged if inactive >3 months - Removed by unanimous vote of other Perimeter 1 members (serious violations only)

Perimeter 2: Trusted Contributors (Unlimited)

Name GitHub Contributions Promoted Specialization

Open

-

-

-

-

Access: - ✅ Direct commits to feature branches (not main) - ✅ Triage and label issues - ✅ Review and approve PRs from Perimeter 3 - ✅ Participate in architecture discussions - ❌ Cannot merge to main without Perimeter 1 approval

Promotion Criteria: - 3+ merged pull requests - 30+ days of active contribution - Demonstrated understanding of project values and architecture - Zero Code of Conduct violations - Automated promotion (no vote required)

Demotion: - Automatic after 90 days of inactivity (can be re-promoted easily) - Code of Conduct violations (temporary or permanent)

Perimeter 3: Community Sandbox (Everyone)

Access: - ✅ Fork and clone repository - ✅ Open issues and discussions - ✅ Submit pull requests - ✅ Review others’ PRs (feedback welcome!) - ❌ Cannot commit directly to any branch

This is YOU! Start here, experiment freely, break things safely.

No barriers to entry: If you can create a GitHub account, you’re in Perimeter 3.

Governance Model

Decision-Making Process

  1. Consensus First: Aim for agreement, not voting

  2. Lazy Consensus: Silence = agreement after 72 hours

  3. Voting: When consensus fails, simple majority of Perimeter 1

  4. Veto Power: Any Perimeter 1 can veto security/legal concerns (must provide alternative)

Decision Types

Decision Type Who Decides Process

Bug fixes

Any contributor

Submit PR, get review

Small features

Perimeter 2+

PR review, lazy consensus

Breaking changes

Perimeter 1

Formal proposal, vote

Security issues

Perimeter 1

Private triage, emergency powers

Code of Conduct

Perimeter 1

Investigation, enforcement

Roadmap

Perimeter 1

Community input, consensus

Emergency Powers

In case of: - Security breach: Any Perimeter 1 can immediately revert commits - Legal threat: Any Perimeter 1 can temporarily disable features - Harassment: Any Perimeter 1 can immediately ban users

Post-emergency review required within 7 days.

Conflict Resolution

Technical Disagreements

  1. Discussion: Open GitHub discussion, invite community input

  2. Prototyping: Build competing implementations, compare objectively

  3. Mediation: Third-party Perimeter 1 member arbitrates

  4. Vote: If still deadlocked, simple majority of Perimeter 1

Interpersonal Conflicts

  1. Private resolution: Attempt 1-on-1 discussion first

  2. Mediation: Code of Conduct team facilitates

  3. Enforcement: Follow CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md escalation ladder

Communication Channels

Public Channels

  • GitHub Issues: Bug reports, feature requests

  • GitHub Discussions: Q&A, ideas, polls

  • Pull Requests: Code review, technical discussion

Private Channels (Perimeter 1 Only)

  • Email: maintainers@example.com (security, legal, conduct)

  • Monthly Sync: First Monday of each month, 1 hour video call

Community Channels (All Welcome)

Responsibilities by Perimeter

All Perimeters

  • ✅ Follow CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

  • ✅ Respect others’ time and expertise

  • ✅ Assume good faith

  • ✅ Give credit where due

  • ✅ Prioritize emotional safety

Perimeter 3 (Community)

  • ✅ Read documentation before asking questions

  • ✅ Provide reproduction steps for bug reports

  • ✅ Be patient with review timelines

  • ✅ Accept that not all ideas will be accepted

Perimeter 2 (Trusted Contributors)

  • ✅ Review PRs from Perimeter 3 within 7 days

  • ✅ Mentor new contributors

  • ✅ Write high-quality commit messages

  • ✅ Keep feature branches up-to-date with main

Perimeter 1 (Core Maintainers)

  • ✅ Review security reports within 48 hours

  • ✅ Cut releases on schedule (monthly or as-needed)

  • ✅ Maintain CHANGELOG.md and SECURITY.md

  • ✅ Enforce Code of Conduct fairly

  • ✅ Respond to community concerns within 7 days

Becoming a Maintainer

Path to Perimeter 1

  1. Start: Join Perimeter 3, make first PR

  2. Grow: Earn Perimeter 2 through consistent contributions (30+ days)

  3. Lead: Demonstrate leadership in area of expertise

  4. Nominate: Self-nominate or be nominated by existing Perimeter 1

  5. Review: Existing Perimeter 1 discusses candidacy (private)

  6. Vote: 2/3 majority required

  7. Onboard: 30-day probationary period with mentor

What We Look For

  • Technical skills: Proven ability to write quality code

  • Communication: Clear writing, empathetic feedback

  • Community values: Alignment with emotional safety and inclusion

  • Reliability: Consistent contributions over time

  • Leadership: Helping others, improving processes

  • Judgment: Making sound decisions under uncertainty

Red Flags (Automatic Disqualification)

  • ❌ Code of Conduct violations

  • ❌ Security negligence (e.g., committing secrets)

  • ❌ Plagiarism or copyright violations

  • ❌ Hostile or dismissive behavior toward contributors

  • ❌ Attempt to bypass perimeter access controls

Emeritus Status

Maintainers who step down from active duty are honored as Emeritus Maintainers:

  • 🏅 Listed in MAINTAINERS.md with emeritus status

  • 🎖️ Retains Perimeter 2 access (can be revoked if abused)

  • 🙏 Welcomed back to Perimeter 1 if circumstances change (simplified process)

Current Emeritus Maintainers

None yet - this is a new project!

Amendment Process

This governance document can be amended by:

  1. Proposal: Any Perimeter 2+ can propose changes via PR

  2. Discussion: Minimum 14-day public comment period

  3. Vote: 2/3 majority of Perimeter 1 required

  4. Announcement: Changes announced in CHANGELOG.md

Contact

Last Updated: 2024-01-15 Version: 2.0 (TPCF Implementation) Next Review: Every 6 months or as-needed