feat: Core Contributor Program

src/Process/TIP-PROC-0006_core_contributor_program.md

@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+# P-TIP-PROC-6: Core Contributor Program
+
+| TIP           | [P-TIP-PROC-6](#p-tip-proc-6-core-contributor-program) |
+|---------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
+| Title         | Core Contributor Program                               |
+| Last Modified | 2026-07-11                                             |
+| Authors       | Fox Piacenti <fox@vulpinity.com>                 |
+| Status        | Proposed                                               |
+| Type          | Process                                                |
+| Created       | 2026-07-11                                             |
+
+## Overview
+
+The Core Contributor (CC) program enables community members who have demonstrated the three Cs-- Conduct, Caliber, and
+Commitment, to take ownership and responsibility of elements of the Tari project.
+
+Core Contributors (CCs) are empowered to make on-the-ground decisions about the project,
+and [elect the Tari Council][CouncilElection].
+
+To become a Core Contributor, you must be active in the community and consistently contributing with high quality.
+Over time, you demonstrate your trustworthiness and, at the discretion of the team, are nominated to a CC position.
+After a review of the evidence, you may then be inducted into the Core Contributors.
+
+There is no automatic path, where you contribute X amount of work in Y time, or check enough boxes to 'win'
+Core Contributor status. Rather, it is given at the discretion and in trust by those who have earned that trust before
+you. Some guidelines are given in this document to help team members judge readiness, but the judgment is ultimately up
+to the current CCs whether to admit a new member.
+
+## Motivation
+
+Tari is for everyone. It is a community project. To better distribute the work of the project, improve governance,
+reduce silos, and set standards, the core contributor program enables community members with demonstrated Commitment,
+Conduct, and Caliber ([the three Cs](#requirements)) to have greater stake in the project's success and say in the
+project's direction.
+
+## Requirements
+
+All Core Contributors are expected to meet the three Cs:
+
+* Commitment: Core Contributors must demonstrate a firm commitment to the project, maintaining continuous contribution.
+* Conduct: Core Contributors must be welcoming, helpful, and able to disagree without resorting to attacks. They must
+  demonstrate good judgment and give other community members a fair shake. They must not disparage others for personal
+  attributes beyond their control, should retain a polite demeanor, and should give feedback constructively.
+* Caliber: Core Contributors must demonstrate competence in their domain. They must demonstrate excellence in their
+  community work, and must hold their fellow core contributors to high standards, mentoring prospective Core
+  Contributors and new contributors.
+
+Core Contributors may have additional requirements based on their [category](#categories) or
+[rights](#contributor-powers-and-rights).
+
+Core Contributors are expected to maintain the three Cs and other requirements before and during their tenure. Core
+Contributors who lapse in their commitment, conduct, and caliber [may be removed](#involuntary-exits).
+
+At a minimum, all Core Contributors must have at least six months of history and participation in the Tari project.
+
+## Contributor Powers and Rights
+
+Core Contributors may be given power to handle any element of the project which is not the exclusive
+responsibility of the council. For an example, a core contributor can be granted:
+
+* commit or maintainer rights on a code repository
+* access to social media accounts
+* forum/chat moderation powers
+* DNS administration capabilities
+* server and online service access
+* seat licenses to software
+* One key from a set of signature keys for multisig community wallets (if also approved by supermajority (2/3) council vote)
+* signature powers for scoped project/budget wallets (if also approved by supermajority (2/3) council vote)
+* project management responsibilities
+* ...or other assets which the Tari Foundation and Council hold in trust by the community.
+
+For counterexample, a core contributor may not be granted:
+
+* the right to vote on behalf of a council member
+* the ability to bind the community, Tari Council, or the Tari Foundation to contract
+* final say on high-level budgetary decisions, though they may advise them
+
+Core contributor status does not automatically confer any particular power or access right. Access rights are granted on
+an as-needed basis. Core Contributors are the first (and, in most cases, only) community members considered for access
+to project resources.
+
+### Categories
+
+Core Contributors are organized into categories for administrative convenience. Categories may be granted access or
+licenses to specific resources en masse, and may have categorical expectations and responsibilities as part of their
+work. Core Contributors may be part of multiple categories, or may have no category. Core Contributors are permitted to
+contribute in areas outside their category, but may not be granted specific rights and responsibilities of those
+categories without membership.
+
+The current categories are:
+
+* [Code](#code-ccs)
+* [Product](#product-ccs)
+* [Ecosystem](#ecosystem-ccs)
+* [Community](#community-ccs)
+* [Project](#project-ccs).
+
+A brief overview of each category is below. Further refinement of expectations and requirements for each may be
+submitted in subsequent TIPs.
+
+To distinguish between, for instance, all code contributors and specifically Core Contributors in the Code Category, we
+will use 'code contributors' or 'contributors' for the former and 'Code CCs' for the latter.
+
+#### Code CCs
+
+Code CCs are community members with demonstrated software engineering skills who have consistently delivered high
+quality code contributions to the Tari project.
+
+Code CCs are expected to follow best practices in software engineering. These include, but are not limited to:
+
+1. Not committing directly to special branches (such as 'main') but using a pull request instead
+2. Having all code reviewed by at least one human reviewer
+3. Reviewing code of other contributors
+4. Writing automated tests for code whenever reasonable automated tests can be written, and providing detailed testing
+   instructions when not
+5. Including documentation and testing instructions with changes
+
+Code CCs may elect to use code generation tools according to their judgment. They must, however, bear
+responsibility for generated code, and must review any code generated before requesting another contributor to review
+their pull requests. They must not commit code they do not understand to their respective repositories, and are expected
+to guard their repositories from code which does not follow best practices via the review process.
+
+**Example Evidence of Code CC readiness:**
+
+* Delivering multiple major features at high quality
+* Delivering many thoughtful code improvements
+* Providing constructive code review with a keen eye for other contributors
+* Writing up issues and bugs with clear descriptions and acceptance criteria
+* Provides quality tests with code contributed
+
+#### Product CCs
+
+Product CCs guide the holistic implementation of features by providing UI/UX designs that contributors can
+implement via code, and by carefully considering the whole impact of a feature for real-world users. They provide review
+of new features and may provide art such as iconography which aids in communicating a product's functionality.
+
+Product CCs are expected to review product TIPs and feature requests to assist in their prioritization and
+design. They assist the community by rethinking how we meet the needs of the ever-evolving real-world needs of users.
+
+**Example Evidence of Product CC readiness:**
+
+* Delivers multiple quality feature proposals with UI/UX Designs that are accepted for development
+* Delivers multiple enhancements to existing features via improved UI/UX designs that are accepted for development
+* Demonstrates skill in working with developers and project contributors to verify and validate feature changes against
+  designs
+
+#### Ecosystem CCs
+
+Ecosystem CCs grow Tari beyond its own repositories: the integrations, partnerships, and real-world adoption built on
+top of the protocol. Ecosystem CCs might do things like:
+
+* Source and support integrations with exchanges, wallets, payment processors, and other protocols
+* Source and develop partnerships with businesses and institutions that bring real-world usage to Tari
+* Support third-party teams building on Tari with onboarding, technical liaison, and go-to-market help
+* Represent Tari with enterprises, at industry events, and in adjacent ecosystems
+* Advise the council on ecosystem strategy, deal structure, and market development
+
+**Example Evidence of Ecosystem CC readiness:**
+
+* Demonstrates decorum, clarity, technical acumen and helpfulness in onboarding community members with wallets and other
+  Tari software
+* Maintains a welcoming attitude toward others
+* Performs live presentation demos of technology and products
+* Makes quality referrals to and from the Tari community and other teams
+
+#### Infrastructure CCs
+
+Infrastructure CCs run Tari-project managed infrastructure. They are charged with keeping community resources in working
+order. Infrastructure CCs might do things like:
+
+* Run and maintain boostrap/seed nodes
+* Perform DevOps work on servers and web applications such as the forums
+* Maintain mining guides and establish best practices for deploying Tari tools
+
+**Example Evidence of Infrastructure CC readiness:**
+
+* Demonstrated ability to deploy and maintain services
+* Assists community members in mining and software setup
+* Writes guides and contributes documentation for practical deployments
+
+#### Project CCs
+
+Project CCs are team members who are in charge of large community-wide projects and/or who perform critical
+metawork that helps the Tari project run smoothly. Project CCs may do things like:
+
+* Coordinating work between contributors to deliver strategic objectives set by the council
+* Assisting with administration of the project, such as managing access to resources, or onboarding/offboarding
+  Core Contributors and council members
+* Coordinating dates, schedules, and other resources to ensure project delivery
+* Ensure that TIP-defined processes are followed and contribute updates and new processes where appropriate
+* Flesh out day-to-day processes implied but not explicitly defined by TIPs
+* Run large-scale events beyond the scope of what Community CCs handle on their own
+
+**Example Evidence of Project CC readiness:**
+
+* Self-starts projects and recruits community members to deliver value to the community
+* Assists in coordinating workgroup activities
+* Gives quality feedback on items like feature and initiative prioritization
+* Is able to work amicably with a wide swath of people from varying backgrounds and viewpoints
+
+#### Community CCs
+
+Community CCs help with day-to-day community affairs. Community CCs might do things like:
+
+* Moderate chats and forums
+* Run day-to-day community events
+* Craft messaging for social media and public announcements, ensuring messaging is tailored for each venue
+* Provide art and design for marketing campaigns
+* Work with Project CCs to run large-scale events
+* Translate resources and run language-specific discussions and community events
+
+**Examples of Community CC Readiness:**
+
+* Conducts themselves in public chats/forums with decorum and a welcoming demeanor
+* Assists in mediation when tempers flare, and does not stoke flames
+* Helps newcomers and points them in constructive directions
+* Brings useful discussion topics to the table
+* Assists in running community events
+
+## Nomination
+
+Core Contributors must have a sponsoring nominator. Only existing Core Contributors and current council members may
+nominate someone for Core Contributor status. Core Contributor nominations shall be posted in an appropriate forum
+category. Any nomination should contain the following:
+
+* Who is being nominated
+* Evidence that they meet [the requirements for being a Core Contributor](#requirements), as links and/or testimony
+* **Any corporate entity which is sponsoring their contributions**
+* A date, 14 days from the date of posting, by which any votes for or against their candidacy must be given
+
+For example:
+
+> I am nominating JimBob for the Core Contributor program as a Code CC.
+> 
+> JimBob has been a contributor of code to our repositories for several months, and proved his excellence when
+> implementing spline reticulation. He is very helpful on the forums, always has a good attitude, and contributes
+> quality code. You can review some of his pull requests here:
+> 
+> Link 1
+> Link 2
+> Link 3
+>
+> JimBob's contributions are backed by CompanyName Inc.
+> 
+> Please provide your vote and feedback by August 24th!
+
+Core Contributors should reply to the thread either with affirmative votes or with nos. Nos should be accompanied by
+feedback. The attitude of feedback should not be 'never' but 'not yet', explaining what improvements the current Core
+Contributors would need to see before approving their addition to the team.
+
+The nomination will be considered approved if five Core Contributors give an affirmative vote and there are not any 'no'
+votes by the time the feedback period has ended. In the event there are not five Core Contributors, unanimous
+affirmative votes must be collected.
+
+In the event of an explicit 'no' vote, the candidate may elect to appeal to the Tari Council. The Tari Council will
+consider the application of the candidate, and vote on the applicant's candidacy. The candidate will be approved if the
+Council decides in their favor with full unanimity. Any override vote must be completed within 14 days, and
+must include publicly published reasoning for the override, and their view of the evidence in light of the standards
+in this document. Otherwise, the answer is 'no.'
+
+### Bootstrap Period
+
+Until the Core Contributor program has inducted 11 members over time, the council will hold voting rights during the
+nomination process. After the 11th inducted member, the council shall no longer have the right to vote in
+Core Contributor nominations, excepting through the appeals process mentioned in [Nomination](#nomination).
+
+### Category Expansion
+
+Expansion of categories is done similar to [nomination](#nomination). A forum post requesting category expansion,
+with reason given and evidence of competency supplied, shall be made. If after 5 working days there are at least three
+affirmative votes and no negative votes, access shall be granted. Voting rights are the same as described in
+[Nomination](#nomination).
+
+## Exiting the Program
+
+A Core Contributor who is either unable or unwilling to continue their work as a core contributor may exit the program.
+
+### Voluntary Exits
+
+Core Contributors are people. They may be called to new projects, may lose interest, or may lose any sponsorship that
+assisted their role as contributor. Whatever the reason, a Core Contributor may submit their resignation to the Council
+at any time. They will then be offboarded from the program. To leave in good standing, a notice period of at least 14
+days and good faith work to perform clean handoffs are required.
+
+### Involuntary Exits
+
+If a Core Contributor fails to meet the standards of Commitment, Conduct, and Caliber required of the program, and no
+remediation is possible or forthcoming (such as a major breach of trust, a refusal to address critical feedback, or
+extended lack of contribution) they may be removed from the program by a majority vote of the council and have all
+CC rights revoked.
+
+In the event an involuntary removal occurs, a public reason for this removal must be published by the council within
+72 hours of the action taken. The removed may appeal to the council within 7 days, and upon appeal, the council
+will consider their evidence and will vote once more, requiring a supermajority (2/3) to maintain removal.
+They shall vote and publish their verdict within 7 days of the appeal being posted.
+
+## Council Voting
+
+Core Contributors are the exclusive electors of the council. Council members who are not core contributors do not have
+voting rights for council membership, as the core contributors are the workers who choose their leaders. Councilors are
+encouraged to become Core Contributors either before or during their tenure, but this is not a requirement.
+
+Two months before a Councilor's term is up, nominations shall be solicited from the community for any who would like to
+hold the position. The current incumbent must affirmatively and publicly indicate they wish to continue their tenure
+during this time. Nomination closes one month plus one week before the councilor's term ends.
+
+After one week of setup for voting, elections shall begin, with two weeks for each Core Contributor to submit their
+ranked choice (AKA 'instant run-off') ballot. The final two weeks between terms will be used for onboarding and
+hand-off, with decision-making power only manifesting when the new electee's term begins.
+
+## Amendments
+
+This document may only be amended or replaced via unanimous vote of the council and majority vote of the CCs.
+
+[CouncilElection]: ../TIP-0002_tari_community_charter.md#article-vii-nomination-and-selection

src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 - [P-TIP-PROC-1: Tari Improvement Proposals](TIP-0001_tari_improvement_proposals.md)
 - [A-TIP-PROC-2: The Tari Community Charter](TIP-0002_tari_community_charter.md)
 - [P-TIP-PROC-3: Community Forums](TIP-0003_community_forums.md)
-- [A-TIP-0005: Adjust Bridge Limits](Process/TIP-PROC-0005_adjust_bridge_limits.md)
+- [A-TIP-PROC-0005: Adjust Bridge Limits](Process/TIP-PROC-0005_adjust_bridge_limits.md)
+- [P-TIP-PROC-0006: Core Contributor Program](Process/TIP-PROC-0006_core_contributor_program.md)
 - [RFC-0001: An overview of the Tari network](RFC-0001_overview.md)
 - [The Tari Base Layer](base_layer.md)
   - [RFC-0110: Base nodes](RFC-0110_BaseNodes.md)