Governance

THE MANIFESTO

In an era of increasing fragmentation and the aggressive enclosure of the digital commons, we, the developers of the VI Software Collective, assert that software infrastructure is not a commodity, but a public utility.

The Minecraft modding landscape stands at a crossroads between predatory monetization and collaborative freedom. We choose the latter. We reject the “pay-to-play” gateways, the proprietary shrouding of core logic, and the exploitation of the community for private gain.

To ensure the technical sovereignty of the user and the perpetual liberty of the developer, we hereby ordain this Constitution. We commit our labor to the engineering of a full-stack ecosystem that is structurally resistant to capture, bound by the ironclad principles of Copyleft Integrity, and governed by a meritocracy of contribution. This document is our covenant, the blueprint for a decentralized future where the tools of creation belong to those who build and those who play.

ARTICLE I: MISSION AND MANDATE

The Collective is established to engineer, maintain, and proliferate a sophisticated technical ecosystem for Minecraft infrastructure under the following core constraints:

• The Collective’s mandate encompasses the entire software lifecycle, including but not limited to client-side launchers, server-side frameworks, API protocols, and authentication services.
• The Collective operates under the principle of “Software as a Public Utility.” We categorically reject the hyper-monetization of the modding landscape. No core infrastructure, service, or feature developed by the Collective shall be subject to predatory financial barriers, proprietary gating, or commercial exploitation.
• To ensure the perpetual freedom of the codebase, all core projects shall be licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later or the GNU Affero General Public License version 3 or later.
• The Collective asserts total technical sovereignty over its codebase; however, it acknowledges the legal frameworks of the base game’s intellectual property owners (e.g., the Mojang EULA) and third-party hosting platforms, provided such compliance does not explicitly violate this Constitution’s core mandates.

ARTICLE II: ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND MEMBERSHIP

The Collective operates as a semi-direct democracy, blending meritocracy with community participation. Advancement is predicated upon technical proficiency, demonstrated alignment with the Collective’s ethical standards, and active contribution to the community.

SECTION 2.1: COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTORS

Community Contributors provide external support to the ecosystem without formal integration into the internal hierarchy.

• Responsibilities: Submission of bug reports, proposal of feature enhancements, provision of community-led support, and localized testing.
• Prerogatives: Recognition in official project documentation, the right to participate in public Request for Comments (RFC) periods for major roadmap shifts, and the ability to propose non-binding referendums on community matters.

SECTION 2.2: THE TRAINEE

The Trainee tier is the internal entry-point focused on mentorship and professional integration.

• Objectives: Technical growth and alignment with the Collective’s engineering standards.
• Constraints: Trainees hold no voting rights and are strictly exempt from production deadlines. The focus remains on the enjoyment of development and the acquisition of core competencies.
• Promotion Pathway: Advancement to Contributor requires the formal sponsorship of two (2) Maintainers and the successful integration of a predefined threshold of pull requests.

SECTION 2.3: THE CONTRIBUTOR

Contributors are validated internal members responsible for the execution of the Collective’s roadmap.

• Responsibilities: Implementation of complex features, maintenance of technical documentation, and rapid bug mitigation under the supervision of a Maintainer.
• Prerogatives: Voting rights on non-strategic decisions (e.g., feature prioritization, minor policy changes).

SECTION 2.4: THE MAINTAINER

Maintainers are the senior technical officers and the primary engine of governance.

• Responsibilities: Final authority on code integration (PR approval), security auditing, and the formal mentorship of the Trainee tier.
• Electoral Authority: The Maintainer class constitutes the sole electorate responsible for the appointment and removal of the Steering Council.
• Prerogatives: Voting rights on all governance matters, including Charter amendments and strategic direction.

ARTICLE III: THE STEERING COUNCIL

The Steering Council (the “Council”) is the highest administrative and strategic organ of the Collective.

• The Council shall consist of an odd number of members, specifically three (3) or five (5) to ensure definitive voting outcomes.
• All Council seats are elected by the Maintainer class for 12-month terms, with staggered rotations to ensure institutional memory.
• The Council is responsible for strategic decision-making, conflict resolution, and ensuring alignment with the Collective’s mission.

ARTICLE IV: LEGISLATIVE AND VOTING PROTOCOLS

• Standard operational and fiscal decisions require a Simple Majority vote of the Steering Council.
• Alterations to this Charter require a Supermajority (2/3) of the Steering Council and a Simple Majority of Maintainers.
• Selection for the Council requires a Simple Majority vote of the Maintainer class.
• In the event of an irreconcilable dispute between Maintainers regarding core architecture or critical pull requests, the Council shall temporarily appoint a definitive Technical Lead from among the uninvolved Maintainers to issue a binding, final decision.

ARTICLE IV.B: COMMUNITY REFERENDUMS

To ensure the voice of the broader community is heard, non-binding referendums may be initiated by Community Contributors or Contributors.

• Initiation: A referendum may be proposed by any Community Contributor or Contributor, provided it is supported by at least 10% of the active Community Contributors.
• Voting: All Community Contributors and Contributors may participate in the referendum.
• Outcome: While non-binding, the results of a referendum must be formally considered by the Steering Council and Maintainers in their decision-making processes.

ARTICLE IV.C: MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE

A Motion of No Confidence may be initiated to remove any member of the Steering Council if they are deemed to have violated the Collective’s mission, ethical standards, or governance principles.

• Initiation: A motion may be proposed by at least one-third (1/3) of the Maintainer class or 10% of the active Community Contributors.
• Voting: A motion passes with a Supermajority (2/3) of the Maintainer class.
• Outcome:
  • If passed, the targeted Council member is immediately removed from their seat.
  • A special election is held within thirty (30) days to fill the vacant seat.
• Appeals: The accused member may present a defense before the vote. The decision of the Maintainer class is final.

ARTICLE IV.D: REVOCATION OF TRUST

The Collective recognizes that trust must be continuously earned. If a member (including former Council members) is found to have abused their authority or acted against the Collective’s mission, the following actions may be taken:

• Formal Review: Any Maintainer may call for a retrospective review of a past decision or action by a former leader. This requires the support of at least two (2) other Maintainers.
• Sanctions: If the review finds evidence of misconduct, the Council may:
  • Publicly reprimand the individual.
  • Revoke honorary titles or recognition (e.g., removal from documentation, credits, or historical records).
  • Restrict future participation in the Collective (e.g., banning from voting, contributions, or leadership roles).
• Transparency: All findings and actions taken under this section must be documented and published in a public ledger accessible to the entire community.

ARTICLE V: CONDUCT, DISCIPLINE, AND SANCTIONS

The Council is charged with the enforcement of the Code of Conduct.

• Tier I: Formal Reprimand. Official notice of professional or ethical negligence.
• Tier II: Privilege Suspension. Temporary revocation of repository access and voting rights.
• Tier III: Expulsion. Permanent removal from the Collective for severe ethical breaches, security violations, or actions promoting the unauthorized monetization of assets.
• Emergency Freeze: In the event of a critical security threat, the Council may immediately suspend all access for any member pending a formal review.

ARTICLE VI: FISCAL AND ASSET STEWARDSHIP

All resources, intellectual properties, and capital acquired are held in trust for the Collective.

• All domain names, brand trademarks, social media accounts, and community platforms (e.g., Discord servers) are the collective property of the VI Software Collective. They are strictly held in trust by the Steering Council and shall not be individually owned or retained by departing members.
• Initial funds are exclusively directed toward hosting, security audits, and developer tools.
• Surplus funds may be authorized by the Council as “Sustenance Stipends.” These are non-salary grants intended to permit core developers to focus on the Collective as a primary endeavor without financial hardship.
• To ensure strict accountability, the Council is mandated to publish a quarterly ledger detailing all operational expenditures, current asset holdings, and the distribution of Sustenance Grants. This ledger shall be made fully accessible to the Maintainer and Contributor classes.

ARTICLE VII: DISPUTE RESOLUTION

To ensure fair and transparent conflict resolution:

• Mediation: Any member may request mediation for disputes by submitting a formal request to the Council. The Council will appoint an impartial mediator from the Maintainer class to facilitate resolution.
• Arbitration: If mediation fails, the Council may convene an arbitration panel consisting of three (3) Maintainers not involved in the dispute. The panel’s decision is binding.
• Appeals: Decisions made by the arbitration panel may be appealed to the entire Maintainer class within 14 days. A Supermajority (2/3) of Maintainers is required to overturn the panel’s decision.

ARTICLE VIII: THE PERPETUAL RIGHT TO FORK

The Collective acknowledges the right to fork as the ultimate, irrevocable check against leadership failure, technical stagnation, or ideological compromise.