Policy Prism Contributor Credit Policy
Version 1.0 • Effective: Upon publication
1. Purpose
This policy defines how users may earn usage credits through substantive contributions to the critical, interpretive, and technical development of Policy Prism. The policy exists to:
- Recognize intellectual and critical labor as infrastructural work
- Support reflexive governance of the system
- Reduce economic barriers to participation
- Maintain the sustainability of the hosted platform
Credits issued under this policy offset computational costs; they do not represent wages, ownership, or employment.
2. Principle of Alignment
Policy Prism treats critique as a constitutive component of the system rather than external feedback. Accordingly:
Valued for theoretical & methodological substance
Quality over quantity
Disagreement is valued, not penalized
3. Eligible Contribution Categories
Substantive challenges to system outputs, identifying missing actors or alternative theoretical readings.
Identifying epistemic narrowing, colonial assumptions, or hidden governance effects.
Assessment of how lenses are operationalized, scoring rubrics, and prompt structures.
Improving clarity for non-technical audiences, translation, and educational materials.
Code contributions (PRs), performance fixes, and transparency-enhancing design.
4. Credit Award Guidelines
Credits are awarded based on substance and impact, not effort claimed.
| Level | Typical Characteristics | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Clarifications, small corrections, targeted suggestions | 10–20 |
| Moderate | Well-argued critique, documented bias, useful review | 25–50 |
| Substantial | Deep theoretical intervention, major fix, validated redesign | 60+ |
Final credit determination is made by the Policy Prism governance team.
5. Review Process
- Submit via designated channels (click contribute button on GitHub).
- Reviewed for relevance, specificity, and good faith.
- Accepted contributions logged and credits issued.
6. Integrity Safeguards
- Repetitive or bad-faith submissions rejected.
- Credits may be capped per period.
- Disagreement is welcome; manipulation is not.
7. Open Source
This policy applies only to the hosted platform. Forking and self-hosting do not require credits and are not governed by this policy.
8. Usage & Scope
Credits are non-transferable, have no cash value, and apply only to hosted usage. Policy is subject to revision based on community feedback.