Shared Economy

Fair contribution valuation framework for Hogwarts - ensuring every contributor is recognized and compensated justly through a trustful, immutable open ledger.

Justice = Fair Access to Resources Based on Evidence of Contribution

Our shared economy framework ensures every contributor is recognized fairly and compensated justly. It's not just a payment system; it's a transparent, evidence-based valuation engine that treats all forms of contribution—code, documentation, community work—with equal respect. Contributors own their contribution value forever through immutable records.

Core Principles

Measurable Value – Every contribution has quantifiable impact
Equal Respect – Code, docs, and community work are valued equally
Gaming Resistance – The system detects and prevents manipulation
Transparent Valuations – All calculations are public and contestable
Immutable Ownership – Contributors own their contribution value forever

Contribution Matrix

Technical Contributions (40% weight)

Category	Points
Lines of code	LOC × language weight (TS: 1.0, CSS: 0.3, Config: 0.1)
Complexity multiplier	Simple: 1x, Complex: 2.5x
New feature	10 points × complexity
Bug fix	5 points × severity (critical: 5x, minor: 1x)
Refactoring	3 points × files affected
Test coverage	2 points × coverage increase %
PRD/technical docs	50 points × scope (feature: 1x, module: 3x, system: 10x)
Architecture decisions	100 points (tracked in ADR)
Performance optimization	20 points × % improvement
Code review	5 points per substantive comment
Mentoring in review	10 points if reviewer teaches
Catch critical bugs	50 points per security/data loss bug

Quality Multipliers: Tests pass first try (1.2x) · Zero review iterations (1.3x) · Includes tests (1.5x) · Includes docs (1.4x) · Zero regressions in 30 days (1.5x) · Max: 3.9x

Community Contributions (30% weight)

Category	Points
First response	3 points (encourages newcomers)
Issue clarification	5 points (reduces noise)
Issue resolution	10 points × unblocked users
Duplicate detection	2 points (saves maintainer time)
Tutorial written	100 points × depth (quick: 1x, comprehensive: 5x)
API docs	20 points × endpoints documented
Translation	50 points × language + 0.5 points/key
Video/visual content	150 points × length (quality-adjusted)
Onboarding contributors	50 points per successful first PR
Forum/Discord support	2 points per helpful response (upvote-weighted)
Public presentation	200 points per talk/article
Community events	100 points per event

Strategic Contributions (20% weight)

Category	Points
Feature proposals (accepted)	50 points
User research	30 points × users interviewed
Competitive analysis	40 points
Business model innovation	100 points if implemented
Release coordination	100 points per release
Dependency maintenance	20 points × critical deps updated
Security audits	200 points + 50 per vulnerability found

Ecosystem Contributions (10% weight)

Category	Points
Blog posts	20 points × reach (1k views = 1x)
Integration/plugin creation	150 points × users
Educational content	50 points × students reached
Case studies	100 points

Anti-Gaming Mechanisms

Detection Systems

Mechanism	Rule
Sybil prevention	GitHub account > 6 months, verified email required
Velocity limits	Max 100 commits/day reviewed
Peer validation	Large contributions need 2+ maintainer reviews
Commit splitting	If 10+ commits could be 1, apply 0.5x multiplier
Code churn tax	Code deleted within 30 days = retroactive -50% points
Test quality	Tests that mock everything = 0 points
Collusion detection	80%+ review overlap flagged for human review
Circular endorsement	A↔B mutual reviews = 0.7x multiplier

Transparency Layer

Feature	Description
Public ledger	Every contribution → permanent record with hash
Formula visibility	Point calculation in `src/contribution-engine/formulas.ts`
Monthly reports	Auto-generated contribution reports (Markdown + PDF)
Dispute process	Any contributor can challenge valuation via issue
Audit trail	Auto-generated breakdown in commit metadata
Historical changes	All formula changes tracked in git with rationale
Maintainer override	Requires 2/3 vote + public justification

Valuation Formula

Hourly Rate Floor

Based on 2024 research: $45 USD/hour minimum (COCOMO standard)

Contribution Value = (Base Points × Quality Multiplier × Impact Factor) / Effort Hours

If Contribution Value is below $45/hour → Adjusted Value = $45 × Effort Hours

Effort Estimation	Method
Self-reported	Honor system + peer validation
Auto-detected	Commit timestamps via GitHub API
Code contributions	COCOMO II formula (industry-standard)
Outlier detection	100 lines claimed as 20 hours → flagged

Underpayment Prevention

Protection	Description
Market rate adjustment	Quarterly review vs Upwork/Toptal rates
Cost-of-living index	High-COL contributors not penalized
Skill premium	Senior developers get 1.5-2x multiplier
Minimum wage alert	Earnings below local equivalent → alert
Profit redistribution	40%+ margin while under $30/hr pay → redistribution
Satisfaction survey	Annual anonymous contributor review

Diverse Contribution Recognition

Non-Code Contributions

Category	Points
UI/UX mockups	100 points × screens designed
Design system	500 points (one-time) + 50/component
User testing	30 points × tests conducted
Accessibility audit	200 points + 20/issue found
Moderation	5 points/hour (emotionally taxing work)
Conflict resolution	50 points per resolved dispute
Policy creation	100 points (governance work)
Onboarding improvements	40 points × % completion rate improvement

Invisible Labor

Category	Points
Meeting attendance	10 points/hour (capped at 4 hours/week)
Email/DM support	2 points per substantive response
Emotional support	Peer nomination = 50 bonus points monthly

Skill Development

1.5x – First contribution in new area
+20% – Mentor receives 20% of mentee's points
2x – Knowledge transfer guides for complex areas

Transparency & Accountability

Contribution Dashboard

Feature	Description
Public leaderboard	Top contributors (opt-in display)
Personal dashboard	Your points, rank, earnings projection
Team view	Organization total contributions
Historical trends	Contribution health metrics

Contestable Valuations

Contributor files issue: "Commit X undervalued because Y"
Auto-tagged for "valuation-review"
3 maintainers review within 7 days
Vote: Adjust (up/down/no-change)
Outcome recorded publicly with reasoning

Bias Detection: Systematic tracking of undervalued contributor types · Quarterly gender/geography/seniority audit · Corrective retroactive adjustment + policy change

Immutable History (Blockchain)

Feature	Description
Permanent records	Contributions cannot be erased or devalued
Decentralized proof	Leadership changes don't affect contributor rights
Smart contracts	Automated profit distribution
Git timestamping	Commit → hash → Ethereum/Polygon (under $0.01/commit)
Contribution NFT	Major contributions = NFT with metadata
Portable reputation	Prove value across projects

Formula Evolution & Governance

Democratic Formula Updates

Propose formula change via RFC
Simulation on historical data, show impact
Discussion period: 30 days, public comments
Vote: Token-weighted by contribution history
Supermajority required: 67% to change core valuations
Gradual rollout: Test on 10% for 1 month first

Protection Against Capture

Safeguard	Description
Voting cap	No contributor > 10% voting power
Power decay	Founding team voting power -10%/year
Emergency brake	100+ objections pauses change for review
Arbitration	External mediator for major disputes (DAO-style)

Example Calculations

Junior Developer First Contribution

Bug fix in authentication flow (50 lines TypeScript)

Calculation	Value
Base points	50 lines × 1.0 (TS) × 1.5 (bug fix) = 75
Quality multiplier	1.2 (tests pass) × 1.5 (includes tests) = 1.8
Impact factor	Critical bug = 5x
Total points	75 × 1.8 × 5 = 675
Effort	4 hours
Raw value	$67.50 (675/10 rate)
Adjusted	$45/hour floor = $180
First contribution bonus	1.5x = $270

Designer Creates Onboarding Flow

5 screens, user testing with 10 users, Figma documentation

Calculation	Value
UI mockups	100 × 5 screens = 500
User testing	30 × 10 users = 300
Documentation	20
Total points	820
Effort	16 hours
Hourly rate	$51.25 (above floor)

Community Manager Monthly Work

Forum moderation, onboarded 3 contributors, organized 1 event

Calculation	Value
Moderation	5 pts/hr × 20 hours = 100
Onboarding	50 × 3 = 150
Event	100
Discord support	2 × 50 responses = 100
Total points	450
Effort	~25 hours
Adjusted	$45/hour = $1,125

Open Questions

Question	Consideration
Time Decay	Should old contributions lose value over time?
Team Contributions	How to split points for pair programming?
Failed Experiments	Should exploratory work that doesn't ship earn points?
Competitive Dynamics	Does leaderboard create toxic vs. healthy motivation?
Global Equity	How to balance COL differences without geographic arbitrage?

Next Steps

RFC Template

Build Request for Comments template for community input and transparent decision-making process.

Contribution Tracker

Create contribution tracker using GitHub Actions + SQLite to start measuring and recording contributions.

Simulation

Test formulas on existing GitHub history (6 months data) to validate fairness and identify edge cases.

Pilot Program

Invite 5-10 early contributors to pilot program, gather feedback, and iterate on the system.

Iterate & Improve

3-month iteration cycles based on real-world feedback and contribution patterns.

Documentation

Public documentation of all decisions, formulas, and changes to build trust from day one.

Justice Pillars

Pillar	Description
Evidence	Objective, measurable, auditable contribution data
Transparency	Public formulas, contestable outcomes
Dignity	No contributor earns below fair wage, all work is valued

This framework ensures that every contributor is recognized fairly, compensated justly, and empowered to build together.

Business Model Earning Model