Contributing & Project Governance
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DeepCausality is an open-source project dedicated to the development and adoption of dynamic causality technologies. Governance is managed through a Technical Steering Committee (TSC) that oversees technical direction, while community participation is governed by a strict Code of Conduct and standardized contribution workflows. The project emphasizes professional behavior, legal compliance through Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) signing, and collaborative decision-making.
Sources: tsc/README.md:1-10, CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md:10-20, CONTRIBUTING.md:1-10
Project Governance Structure
The Technical Steering Committee (TSC) is the primary body responsible for technical oversight. It operates under a formal Project Charter and utilizes various collaboration tools to maintain transparency and community engagement.
Technical Steering Committee (TSC)
The TSC handles all technical decision-making for DeepCausality. Membership is open to all project committers, with specific terms and election processes. Beginning in 2026, the TSC consists of 5 seats with one-year terms that extend automatically if a member does not step down.
Sources: tsc/README.md:3-35
TSC Decision-Making Process
The project follows a consensus-based model for decision-making. In cases where consensus cannot be reached, a majority vote by TSC voting members is required.
Diagram shows the workflow from a proposal to final TSC approval.
Sources: tsc/README.md:46-55
Repository Management Policies
Specific rules govern the merging of Pull Requests (PRs) into governance-related repositories:
- Standard PRs: Require no outstanding objections and two approvals from TSC members.
- Governance Changes: Must remain open for at least 14 days unless quorum consensus is reached.
- Fast-Tracking: Available for errata, editorial changes, meeting minutes, and doc fixes. Requires the
fast-tracklabel and two TSC approvals.
Sources: tsc/README.md:57-85
Contribution Workflow
All contributions, including code and documentation, must follow the standardized reporting and submission process.
Reporting Issues and Bugs
The project uses GitHub Issues for tracking. Security vulnerabilities must never be reported publicly; they must be emailed directly to the maintainer at marvin.hansen@gmail.com.
| Step | Action | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Investigation | Check latest version, documentation, and existing issues. |
| 2 | Collection | Gather stack trace, OS/Platform details, and SDK versions. |
| 3 | Submission | Provide expected vs. actual behavior and reproduction steps. |
Sources: CONTRIBUTING.md:47-90
Code Contribution Process
Contributors must sign the DeepCausality Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) before making any contribution. This ensures that the author has the rights to the content and agrees to the project's MIT license.
Sequence of events for a contributor from PR opening to merging.
Sources: tsc/README.md:37-43, CONTRIBUTING.md:37-43
Style and Standards
- SPDX Identifiers: Contributors are encouraged to use
SPDX-License-Identifier: MITin files. - Copyright: No individual copyright notice is required per file; instead, a one-time entry is added to
MAINTAINERS.md. - Commits: Must follow project styleguides (referenced in
CONTRIBUTING.md).
Sources: tsc/README.md:88-103, CONTRIBUTING.md:144-148
Community Standards (Code of Conduct)
The Code of Conduct applies to all participants, including developers, meeting attendees, and mailing list contributors. It defines acceptable behavior to ensure a professional and diverse work environment.
Core Principles
- Respect: Treat others with professionalism, fairness, and sensitivity.
- Safety: Zero tolerance for harassment, bullying, or discrimination.
- Constructive Communication: Avoid demeaning or insulting language.
- Privacy: Respect the confidentiality of data and the privacy of others.
- Step Down Considerately: Disengage from the project in a way that minimizes disruption.
Sources: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md:35-60
Incident Procedure
Violations of the Code of Conduct should be reported via email to the active maintainer. The project reserves the right to remove individuals from participation to protect the community.
Sources: CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md:130-140
Support and Resources
The project provides several channels for community support and technical discussion.
| Channel | Purpose |
|---|---|
| GitHub Discussions | General questions and technical chat. |
| Discord | Communication and collaboration for foundation members and the public. |
| Mailing List | Public technical discussions and TSC reachability. |
| Issue Tracker | Bug reporting and enhancement suggestions. |
Sources: SUPPORT.md:15-25, tsc/README.md:15-30
DeepCausality's governance and contribution models are designed to scale with a growing community while maintaining high standards of code quality and professional conduct. By utilizing the TSC for technical direction and the DCO for legal clarity, the project ensures a sustainable ecosystem for causal computing.