CommunityRule/community-rule
2
0 Fork 0
Code Issues 1 Pull Requests Actions Packages Projects Releases Wiki Activity

Import the remade decks on stable ids and recommend one card per job, so a saved draft still loads after a chip is renamed.

Browse Source 
The real-group profiles stay as a test, so a change that moves a pick fails.

Co-authored-by: Cursor <cursoragent@cursor.com>
This commit is contained in:
adilalloandCursor committed 2026-11-04 14:22:54 -07:00
1 parent 96ca15d8e3
commit bcbc6f30d9
89 files changed
+36555 -2828
Download Patch File Download Diff File Expand all files Collapse all files

No files matched your search

messages/en/create/customRule/coreValues.json
+398 -187
View File
@@ -1,17 +1,17 @@
{
"header": {
"title": "Choose up to five Core Values",
"descriptionLead": "What does the community hold most dear? You can also combine or",
"title": "Choose up to six core values",
"descriptionLead": "What does your group hold most dear? You can also combine or",
"addLink": "add",
"descriptionTrail": "new values to the list."
},
"multiSelect": {
"addButtonText": "Add value",
"selectionCount": "{count} of {max}",
"limitReached": "Five of five values selected. Remaining values are unavailable until one is removed."
"limitReached": "Six of six values selected. Remaining values are unavailable until one is removed."
},
"detailModal": {
"subtitle": "Edit or add to this description to describe what this value means to your community.",
"subtitle": "Edit or add to this description to say what this value means to your group.",
"meaningLabel": "What does this value mean to your group?",
"signalsLabel": "Signals of Violation",
"addValueButton": "Add Value",
@@ -22,351 +22,562 @@
"discardProceed": "Discard",
"discardKeepEditing": "Keep editing"
},
"families": [
{
"id": "treat-each-other",
"label": "How we treat each other"
},
{
"id": "share-power",
"label": "How we share power"
},
{
"id": "stay-free",
"label": "How we stay free"
},
{
"id": "make-room",
"label": "How we make room for everyone"
},
{
"id": "keep-safe",
"label": "How we keep each other safe"
},
{
"id": "share-work",
"label": "How we share work and what it makes"
},
{
"id": "stand-together",
"label": "How we stand with others"
},
{
"id": "share-knowledge",
"label": "How we share what we know"
},
{
"id": "learn-and-last",
"label": "How we learn and last"
}
],
"values": [
{
"id": "accessibility",
"label": "Accessibility",
"meaning": "We design spaces and tools that everyone can use regardless of ability or background. To us, this means we provide alt-text for images, wheelchair ramps for events, and use plain language in documents. We acknowledge a tension with Aesthetics/Security (Simple design vs flashy easy access vs strict gates).",
"signals": "Hosting events in venues that are physically inaccessible to wheelchair users or publishing video content without captions which excludes the deaf community."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We make our spaces, tools and words usable by everyone, whatever their body, language or schooling. To us, this means we meet in places people can reach and enter, caption what we record, offer translation when we can and write in plain words. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Making it work for everyone vs getting it out now).",
"signals": "Meetings held up stairs or far from transit, videos shared without captions, or documents full of jargon that only longtime members can follow."
},
{
"id": "accountability",
"label": "Accountability",
"meaning": "Members accept responsibility for their actions and their impact on the community. To us, this means we publish error logs and hold retrospective meetings to own our mistakes without shifting blame. We acknowledge a tension with Psychological Safety (Blame-free culture vs owning mistakes).",
"signals": "Leaders refusing to accept responsibility for failures and instead blaming external factors or junior team members for the lack of success."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Every member and every role answers for what they do with the trust the group gives them. To us, this means each role has a written mandate, a term and a report back, members can recall it and we name our own mistakes at the next meeting without hunting for someone to blame. We acknowledge a tension with Trust (Checking the work vs taking each other at our word).",
"signals": "Role holders who never report back, terms that quietly never end, no way to recall anyone or mistakes that get blamed on whoever is newest."
},
{
"id": "adaptability",
"label": "Adaptability",
"meaning": "The group remains flexible and willing to change strategies when circumstances shift. To us, this means we pivot strategies quarterly based on feedback rather than sticking to a rigid 5-year plan. We acknowledge a tension with Consistency (Changing course vs staying the path).",
"signals": "Persisting with a strategy that evidence shows is failing or penalizing members who suggest necessary changes based on new data."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We change course when the situation changes instead of holding to a plan that has stopped working. To us, this means we set a date to look again at every big plan, ask the people doing the work what has changed and drop what no longer serves the goal. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (Changing course vs keeping our word).",
"signals": "Sticking with a plan everyone can see is failing, or treating a member who suggests a change as disloyal."
},
{
"id": "agency",
"label": "Agency",
"meaning": "Every individual possesses the power and capacity to act on their own behalf. To us, this means Members choose their own tasks and define their own working hours. We acknowledge a tension with Alignment (Doing what you want vs pulling together).",
"signals": "Managers micromanaging details that should be up to the individual or requiring approval for minor decisions that slows down work unnecessarily."
},
{
"label": "Altruism",
"meaning": "We act out of a genuine concern for the well-being of others without expecting reward. To us, this means we offer services for free or pay-what-you-can, prioritizing need over ability to pay. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Giving it all away vs keeping the lights on).",
"signals": "Only offering assistance when it provides a public relations benefit or expecting recipients of aid to perform public gratitude."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Every member can act on their own judgment without waiting for permission. To us, this means members make small and reversible calls on their own and tell the group what they did, and anyone who takes on work gets the say and the tools to do it. We acknowledge a tension with Cooperation (Acting alone vs pulling together).",
"signals": "Members asking permission for every small task, work handed out without the say to do it, or one person second-guessing every choice others make."
},
{
"id": "anti-oppression",
"label": "Anti-oppression",
"meaning": "We actively oppose all forms of systemic discrimination and hierarchy. To us, this means we have a dedicated diversity officer and mandatory bias training. We acknowledge a tension with Comfort (Challenging norms is uncomfortable).",
"signals": "Dismissing concerns about bias as irrelevant politics or refusing to examine how organizational structures replicate systemic inequalities."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We work against racism, sexism, ableism and every other system that ranks people, inside the group as well as outside it. To us, this means we look each year at who holds roles, who gets heard and who leaves, and we change the practices that keep the same people on top. We acknowledge a tension with Comfort (Naming harm vs keeping everyone at ease).",
"signals": "Dismissing a concern about bias as politics, the same kind of people holding every role year after year, or members who raise harm being treated as the problem."
},
{
"id": "autonomy",
"label": "Autonomy",
"meaning": "The group maintains independence from external control by governments or corporations. To us, this means we refuse funding that comes with strings attached or veto power. We acknowledge a tension with Coordination (Independence vs standardization).",
"signals": "Accepting funding that comes with strings attached such as donor veto power or allowing external partners to dictate internal strategy."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Each part of the group runs its own work without asking the whole group for permission. To us, this means every working group, crew or chapter decides how to do the work it was given, within the limits our Rule sets, and the rest of us step in only when a decision reaches beyond it. We acknowledge a tension with Fairness (Each crew’s own way vs the same rules for all).",
"signals": "A working group that has to ask before every choice, or a central few who overrule the people closest to the work on matters that touch nobody else."
},
{
"label": "Capacity Building",
"meaning": "We focus on teaching skills so that members become stronger and more capable over time. To us, this means we dedicate 20% of the budget to training and mentorship programs. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Training takes time away from doing).",
"signals": "Cutting the training budget immediately when funds are tight or expecting junior members to perform without providing any mentorship."
"id": "capacity-building",
"label": "Capacity building",
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We teach each other skills so that more of us can do every job. To us, this means each new member is paired with someone who has done the work, we set aside time to train, and no job depends on a skill only one person has. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Teaching it vs doing it ourselves).",
"signals": "Training dropped the moment things get busy, new members left to guess, or the same one person always doing the hard job because nobody else was shown how."
},
{
"label": "Collaboration",
"meaning": "We work together to solve problems rather than competing against one another. To us, this means we default to 'Multi-player mode' on documents and credit all contributors. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Group work is slower than solo work).",
"signals": "Individuals hoarding information to make themselves indispensable or taking sole credit for work that was the result of a team effort."
"id": "common-ownership",
"label": "Common ownership",
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "What we build together belongs to all of us, not to investors or to whoever started it. To us, this means shared money, tools and equipment are held for the group, every member has an equal share in deciding what happens to them, and nobody can sell them off alone. We acknowledge a tension with Growth (Owning it ourselves vs taking outside money to grow).",
"signals": "A few founders who keep the votes or the assets, shared accounts or equipment held by one person with nothing written down, or a sale of shared things members hear about afterward."
},
{
"label": "Common Ownership",
"meaning": "Resources and assets are owned collectively by the members rather than by private investors. To us, this means Assets are held in a trust or cooperative structure where every member has a share. We acknowledge a tension with Investment Speed (Harder to raise VC capital).",
"signals": "Structuring the organization so that a small group of founders retains all voting power and profits despite claims of being a collective."
"id": "community-care",
"label": "Community care",
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We put each other’s health and rest ahead of the work. To us, this means we ask at each meeting who has room this week and who needs cover, anyone can step back when they are sick or worn out without explaining, and we share out hard jobs so nobody carries them alone. We acknowledge a tension with Urgency (Rest now vs the next crisis).",
"signals": "Praise for working while sick, the same few people carrying every crisis, or members who burn out and leave without anyone asking how they were."
},
{
"label": "Community Care",
"meaning": "We prioritize the physical and mental health of our members above productivity. To us, this means we start meetings with check-ins and fund mental health stipends. We acknowledge a tension with Productivity (Rest takes time away from output).",
"signals": "Praising individuals for working while sick or scheduling mandatory meetings during times that are ostensibly reserved for rest and recovery."
"id": "competence",
"label": "Competence",
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We do the work well and take on only what we are trained to do. To us, this means anyone doing a job that carries risk, such as handling food, giving first aid, driving or using power tools, first learns how from someone who knows, and we say no rather than guess. We acknowledge a tension with Inclusion (Doing it right vs letting anyone help).",
"signals": "Members doing risky work nobody showed them how to do, care or advice given beyond anyone’s training, or a job taken on because saying no felt awkward."
},
{
"label": "Conflict Resolution",
"meaning": "We address disagreements openly and constructively to find a path forward. To us, this means we have a standing mediation committee and clear grievance forms. We acknowledge a tension with Harmony (Addressing conflict feels disruptive).",
"signals": "Ignoring interpersonal disputes in the hope they will disappear or labeling members who raise valid concerns as troublemakers to silence them."
},
{
"label": "Consent",
"meaning": "Participation and interactions are always voluntary and based on clear permission. To us, this means we use 'opt-in' by default for all communications and initiatives. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Asking everyone takes time).",
"signals": "Automatically subscribing members to lists without asking or pressuring individuals to take on tasks they have already explicitly declined."
"id": "confidentiality",
"label": "Confidentiality",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "What someone tells us in confidence stays with the people who need to know it. To us, this means a sensitive matter about one person goes to the smallest circle that can handle it, and our records say a decision was made without the private details. We acknowledge a tension with Accountability (Keeping a confidence vs letting members check the decision).",
"signals": "A member’s health, money trouble or conflict discussed in the group chat, minutes that name who said what in a hard case, or private details passed on as gossip."
},
{
"id": "consensus",
"label": "Consensus",
"meaning": "We strive to make decisions that everyone can agree to or at least live with. To us, this means we do not move forward with a proposal until all blocking concerns are resolved. We acknowledge a tension with Action/Speed (Everyone agreeing takes forever).",
"signals": "Pushing a decision forward despite unresolved blocking concerns or using social pressure to force dissenters to conform to the majority."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "We make decisions that every member can live with. To us, this means we ask every member before a big decision and change a proposal until no member has a concern serious enough to block it. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Everyone on board vs deciding in time).",
"signals": "Pushing a proposal through while a serious concern still stands, or pressing the members who object until they go quiet."
},
{
"label": "Constructive Feedback",
"meaning": "Criticism is offered kindly to help improve the work rather than to tear people down. To us, this means we use the 'Praise-Improve-Praise' sandwich and focus on the work, not the person. We acknowledge a tension with Politeness (Honesty can hurt feelings).",
"signals": "Delivering harsh criticism without offering actionable advice for improvement or attacking a person's character rather than their work."
"id": "consent",
"label": "Consent",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "Nobody is touched, recorded, named or signed up for anything without saying yes first, except that we help someone in danger who cannot answer. To us, this means we ask before we touch anyone, take their photo, share their story or add them to a list, and a no needs no reason and costs nothing. We acknowledge a tension with Outreach (Asking first vs showing our work).",
"signals": "Photos of people at an event posted without asking, members added to lists or chats they never chose, or pressure on someone who already said no."
},
{
"id": "constructive-feedback",
"label": "Constructive feedback",
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We tell each other how the work is going, plainly and kindly, so it gets better. To us, this means we give feedback soon, in private first, about the work and not the person, with one thing to try next, and we ask for it as often as we give it. We acknowledge a tension with Harmony (Saying it now vs keeping the peace).",
"signals": "Criticism saved up and dropped in a meeting, comments about someone’s character instead of their work, or feedback that only ever flows from longtime members to new ones."
},
{
"id": "contribution",
"label": "Contribution",
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "Members who do the work have a say in how it gets done, and every kind of work counts. To us, this means the people doing a job shape it, we count care, cleanup and note-taking as much as visible work, and we check that say does not simply follow free time or confidence. We acknowledge a tension with Equality (Say from the work vs an equal say for all).",
"signals": "Influence that tracks confidence, seniority or free time rather than the work done, or cooking, cleaning and care that never count when the group decides who has a say."
},
{
"id": "cooperation",
"label": "Cooperation",
"meaning": "We believe working together produces better results than working in isolation. To us, this means we actively partner with similar organizations instead of competing for market share. We acknowledge a tension with Competition (Sharing the pie vs taking the pie).",
"signals": "Viewing similar organizations as threats to be destroyed rather than partners or refusing to share resources that could help the broader ecosystem."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We work with each other and with other groups instead of against them. To us, this means we share credit for work done together, share what we know with groups doing similar work and look for a partner before we compete with one. We acknowledge a tension with Independence (Joining forces vs going our own way).",
"signals": "Taking sole credit for shared work, hoarding contacts or supplies another group could use, or treating a group doing similar work as a rival to beat."
},
{
"id": "copyleft",
"label": "Copyleft",
"meaning": "We use licensing that ensures derived works remain free and open for everyone. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Releasing modifications to open projects under restrictive licenses that prevent the community from benefiting from the improvements."
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "We share what we make on the condition that anything built from it is shared the same way. To us, this means we release our code, writing and designs under share-alike licenses such as the GPL or CC BY-SA, and anyone who builds on them keeps their version open too. We acknowledge a tension with Adoption (Keeping it open vs more people using it).",
"signals": "Improvements to shared work released under closed terms, a share-alike license quietly swapped for one that lets others close it, or our work taken private without credit."
},
{
"id": "decentralization",
"label": "Decentralization",
"meaning": "Power is distributed across a network rather than concentrated in a central authority. To us, this means Decision-making authority is pushed to the edges no central HQ exists. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency/Cohesion (Herding cats).",
"signals": "Concentrating all critical decision-making power in a single founder or small inner circle while claiming to be a flat organization."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Power and know-how are spread across many people and places so no center can control the group. To us, this means new crews or chapters can start and connect with each other without asking permission, and no one person, office or chat holds what everyone depends on. We acknowledge a tension with Coordination (Spreading power out vs acting as one).",
"signals": "One founder or inner circle making every real decision, every account and key held by one person, or a group that calls itself flat while a few people run it."
},
{
"label": "Direct Action",
"meaning": "We take immediate steps to solve problems ourselves instead of asking authorities to do it. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Forming a committee to study a problem endlessly instead of taking immediate steps to address the urgent needs of the community."
"id": "democracy",
"label": "Democracy",
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Members govern the group together and each has an equal vote on what binds everyone. To us, this means an equal say for every member on the big questions, one member one vote when we vote and roles that answer to the members. Any member can see and question a decision made in our name and put a question to everyone. We acknowledge a tension with Leadership (Everyone deciding vs trusting the people we chose).",
"signals": "A few members making binding decisions and telling the rest afterward, a vote called when most members cannot attend, or no way for a member to put a question to everyone."
},
{
"id": "dignity",
"label": "Dignity",
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "Everyone deserves to be treated as a whole person, most of all when they need help. To us, this means nobody has to prove they deserve help or a fair hearing, people choose for themselves what they need, and no task is beneath any of us. We acknowledge a tension with Fairness (Taking people at their word vs making sure everyone gets a share).",
"signals": "Asking people to prove they need help, telling someone’s hardship to raise money without asking them, or handing the dull and dirty jobs to the same few people."
},
{
"id": "direct-action",
"label": "Direct action",
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We meet needs and change conditions ourselves instead of waiting for those in power to act. To us, this means when people need food, a ride or a repair we organize to provide it now, and we fix what we can ourselves instead of waiting for permission. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (Acting now vs the risks we take on).",
"signals": "A problem studied for months while people go without, action taken without asking who carries the risk or every fix waiting on a landlord, agency or funder to approve it."
},
{
"id": "diversity",
"label": "Diversity",
"meaning": "We value a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds within our membership. To us, this means we strictly enforce quotas or targets for representation in leadership. We acknowledge a tension with Homophily/Ease (It's easier to work with people like you).",
"signals": "Hiring primarily for culture fit which results in a homogenous team or having a leadership team that lacks representation from marginalized groups."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We want people of many backgrounds, ages and experiences in the group and in its roles. To us, this means we notice who is missing, go where they already are to invite them, and invite newcomers of every background into roles, without keeping records of anyone’s identity. We acknowledge a tension with Ease (Reaching new people vs working with people like us).",
"signals": "A group that looks the same year after year, roles that only ever go to one kind of person, or new members chosen because they seem to fit in."
},
{
"id": "documentation",
"label": "Documentation",
"meaning": "We record our processes clearly so that others can learn from and duplicate our work. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Relying on oral tradition where only long-time members understand the systems or refusing to write down processes because it takes too much time."
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "We write down what we know so nobody has to depend on one person’s memory. To us, this means every decision, role and how-to has a short written note in our records, and anyone who learns how something works writes it down for the next person. We acknowledge a tension with Privacy (Writing it down vs leaving no trail).",
"signals": "Systems only longtime members understand, decisions nobody can find a month later, or one person who is the only one who knows how something works."
},
{
"id": "education",
"label": "Education",
"meaning": "We are committed to the continuous learning and growth of all members. To us, this means we publish open curriculums and host free workshops for the public. We acknowledge a tension with Action (Learning vs Doing).",
"signals": "Treating questions from newcomers as annoyances or creating an environment where members are afraid to admit they do not know something."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We learn together, from study and from our own mistakes, and share what we learn. To us, this means we make time to study the conditions behind our work, look back after each big effort to ask what we would do differently and share what we learn with members and other groups. We acknowledge a tension with Action (Studying it vs doing it).",
"signals": "Questions from new members treated as a nuisance, mistakes hidden instead of talked through, or no time ever set aside to read, reflect or pass on what the group has learned."
},
{
"id": "empathy",
"label": "Empathy",
"meaning": "We strive to understand and share the feelings of others in our community. To us, this means we prioritize user research and listening tours before building solutions. We acknowledge a tension with Objectivity (Feeling with users vs analyzing data).",
"signals": "Dismissing user feedback that conflicts with internal assumptions or prioritizing data metrics over the actual lived experience of people."
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We try to understand how things feel for the people a decision touches. To us, this means we listen to the people a decision affects before we make it, ask how a change lands on members with the least time or money, and take their answer seriously. We acknowledge a tension with Objectivity (Feeling with people vs weighing the facts).",
"signals": "Decisions made about people without asking them, feelings dismissed as drama, or a change that lands hardest on the members with the least time or money while nobody notices."
},
{
"label": "Empowerment",
"meaning": "We give members the authority and resources to take charge of their own work. To us, this means we provide resources and authority to those closest to the problem. We acknowledge a tension with Control (Letting go means risking mistakes).",
"signals": "Delegating responsibility without giving the corresponding authority to make decisions or second-guessing every choice made by the team."
"id": "equality",
"label": "Equality",
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Every member stands on equal footing whatever their money, title or time in the group. To us, this means no member’s word or vote counts for more because of seniority, wealth or a role, every member gets the same news about decisions and money and every role is open to any member willing to learn it. We acknowledge a tension with Equity (The same for everyone vs more for those who need it).",
"signals": "Longtime or well-off members whose words carry more weight in practice, roles that only some members are ever offered, or information that only some members get to see."
},
{
"id": "equity",
"label": "Equity",
"meaning": "We distribute resources based on need to ensure fair outcomes for everyone. To us, this means we use sliding scale pricing and offer scholarships to level the playing field. We acknowledge a tension with Equality (Different treatment vs same treatment).",
"signals": "Treating everyone exactly the same despite different starting points or refusing to accommodate specific needs under the guise of fairness."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We share out resources and effort by need so everyone can take part on fair terms. To us, this means sliding scales and waivers for anything that costs money, rides and shared child care so people can attend, and more support for members who start with less. We acknowledge a tension with Equality (Giving by need vs treating everyone alike).",
"signals": "Treating everyone exactly the same despite very different starting points, fees with no waiver, or meetings that only people with a car and free evenings can reach."
},
{
"label": "Experimentation",
"meaning": "We encourage trying new things and learning from failure rather than sticking to the safe path. To us, this means we celebrate 'smart failures' as learning opportunities. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (New things break).",
"signals": "Punishing members for experiments that do not succeed or requiring guaranteed success before approving any new initiative."
"id": "fair-pay",
"label": "Fair pay",
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "Anyone we pay for work is paid fairly, and nobody is left out of pocket for doing the group’s work. To us, this means we pay at least a living wage when we pay anyone, members can see how pay is set, the gap between the highest and lowest pay stays small, and we pay back what members spend on the group’s work. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Paying fairly vs a budget that lasts).",
"signals": "Expecting people to work for exposure or passion, pay nobody can explain, or members quietly paying for supplies and gas out of their own pockets."
},
{
"id": "fairness",
"label": "Fairness",
"meaning": "We apply rules and distribute resources in a just and impartial manner. To us, this means we use transparent salary bands and objective criteria for promotions. We acknowledge a tension with Favoritism (Treating everyone same vs helping friends).",
"signals": "Creating special rules for friends of the leadership or applying policies inconsistently depending on who is involved."
},
{
"label": "Fair Remuneration",
"meaning": "Workers are paid a fair wage that reflects the true value of their labor. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Expecting members to work for exposure or passion instead of paying a living wage for their labor."
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "We apply our rules the same way to everyone and share out work and resources by terms anyone can see. To us, this means the same rule binds a founder and a newcomer, shifts and shared things are handed out by a method we agreed in advance, and any member can ask how a choice was made. We acknowledge a tension with Friendship (Same rules for all vs looking after our own).",
"signals": "Special treatment for friends of longtime members, rules enforced on some people and not others, or shifts and shared things handed out with no method anyone can explain."
},
{
"id": "flexibility",
"label": "Flexibility",
"meaning": "We accommodate the different needs and schedules of our members. To us, this means we allow remote work and asynchronous schedules. We acknowledge a tension with Predictability (Asynch work makes scheduling hard).",
"signals": "Penalizing members for using flexible work arrangements or judging commitment based on the number of hours physically present in the office."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We make room for members’ different schedules, bodies and ways of taking part. To us, this means members can join in person, by phone or in writing, take on work that fits the time they have and change how much they give as their lives change. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (Fitting the work to our lives vs counting on each other).",
"signals": "Judging commitment by hours in the room, decisions made only at meetings some members can never reach, or members penalized for doing less during a hard season."
},
{
"id": "forkability",
"label": "Forkability",
"meaning": "Anyone has the right to take the work in a new direction if the current path fails. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Legally threatening or socially shunning a group that decides to take the project in a different direction due to disagreements."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Anyone can take our shared work in a new direction if they disagree with where it is going. To us, this means our code, documents and how-tos stay under open licenses and in formats others can open, and anyone who leaves to start something new can take a copy of that work with our goodwill, though never members’ personal details. We acknowledge a tension with Solidarity (Freedom to split vs staying together).",
"signals": "Threats or shunning aimed at people who start their own version, shared work locked in a tool only one person controls, or records kept in formats nobody else can open."
},
{
"id": "freedom",
"label": "Freedom",
"meaning": "We protect the liberty of individuals to express themselves and act as they choose. To us, this means we release our work under copyleft licenses. We acknowledge a tension with Security (Total freedom includes freedom to harm).",
"signals": "Censoring speech that is critical of the leadership or implementing surveillance tools to monitor member activity."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Members are free to speak, disagree and live as they choose, inside the group and out. To us, this means anyone can criticize a decision or a role holder in the open, nobody watches or polices members’ lives outside the work, and anyone can leave without penalty. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (Freedom to act vs protecting people from harm).",
"signals": "Criticism of role holders shut down or punished, members watched or judged for their lives outside the group, or tests of ideological purity for joining."
},
{
"label": "Freedom of Information",
"meaning": "Information is a public good that should not be hidden behind paywalls. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Locking important organizational knowledge behind paywalls or restricting access to documents based on arbitrary hierarchy."
"id": "freedom-of-information",
"label": "Freedom of information",
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "Knowledge that helps people meet their needs should be free to read and use. To us, this means the guides and how-tos we choose to share are free for anyone, and any member who asks for a record that affects them gets it with personal details left out. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (Sharing what we know vs who else could use it).",
"signals": "Useful guides kept behind a fee or a login, members refused the record of a decision that affects them, or knowledge rationed to keep some members on top."
},
{
"id": "generosity",
"label": "Generosity",
"meaning": "We give freely of our time and resources to support the collective goal. To us, this means we share our surplus resources with aligned groups in need. We acknowledge a tension with Self-Preservation (Giving until it hurts).",
"signals": "Hoarding a surplus of resources while allied groups are struggling to survive or viewing every interaction as a transaction to be maximized."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We give our time, skills and anything we have to spare freely and without keeping score. To us, this means we lend our tools and skills, share surplus with groups that need it and help without asking for thanks or a return. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Giving freely vs keeping enough to last).",
"signals": "Surplus hoarded while allied groups struggle, help offered only when it brings good press, or people expected to show gratitude for what they receive."
},
{
"label": "Harm Reduction",
"meaning": "We focus on minimizing negative consequences associated with risky behaviors or systemic issues. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Insisting on abstinence-only approaches to risk or refusing to provide safety equipment because it might encourage risky behavior."
},
{
"label": "Holism",
"meaning": "We consider the whole person and the whole system rather than just isolated parts. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Ignoring the personal context of a member and treating them solely as a unit of production or optimizing one department at the expense of others."
},
{
"label": "Holocracy",
"meaning": "We organize around roles and circles rather than top-down managers. To us, this means we use circles and roles instead of managers and job titles. We acknowledge a tension with Clarity (Roles can be confusing compared to titles).",
"signals": "Reintroducing hidden hierarchies where influence is based on social capital rather than clear roles or ignoring governance processes."
"id": "harm-reduction",
"label": "Harm reduction",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "We meet people where they are and make risky situations safer without judging anyone. To us, this means we share safety supplies and accurate information freely, never make help depend on someone changing first and learn how to respond in an emergency. We acknowledge a tension with Caution (Meeting people where they are vs protecting the group from risk).",
"signals": "Help that depends on someone quitting first, lectures handed out in place of supplies, or people turned away because of how they live or what they use."
},
{
"id": "honesty",
"label": "Honesty",
"meaning": "We tell the truth even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. To us, this means we refuse to spin bad news and admit when we don't know the answer. We acknowledge a tension with Diplomacy (Blunt truth vs tact).",
"signals": "Hiding bad news from the membership to protect morale or giving vague non-answers when asked direct questions about challenges."
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We tell each other the truth, especially when it is hard to hear. To us, this means we share bad news early, admit when we do not know or got it wrong and give a straight answer to a direct question. We acknowledge a tension with Kindness (Saying it plainly vs saying it gently).",
"signals": "Bad news kept from members to protect morale, vague answers to direct questions about money or problems, or mistakes quietly covered up and never mentioned again."
},
{
"id": "horizontalism",
"label": "Horizontalism",
"meaning": "We organize as equals without bosses or top-down management structures. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Creating informal power structures where a shadow board makes the real decisions outside of the collective process."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "We organize as equals with no bosses, and power stays with the members. To us, this means decisions are made by the people they affect, roles rotate, and we notice when someone becomes an informal leader and hand their influence back to the group. We acknowledge a tension with Speed (Shared power vs quick calls).",
"signals": "A few people who make the real decisions outside the group’s process, roles held for years with nobody else trained to take them, or one voice the room always waits for."
},
{
"id": "humility",
"label": "Humility",
"meaning": "We recognize that we do not have all the answers and are open to learning from others. To us, this means Leaders eat last and credit the team for successes. We acknowledge a tension with Marketing (Selling yourself vs being modest).",
"signals": "Leaders taking credit for the team's success while blaming the team for failures or refusing to admit when they are wrong."
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We know we do not have all the answers and learn from the people and groups who came before us. To us, this means we credit the work of others, ask for advice before we act on what we do not know and say plainly when we were wrong. We acknowledge a tension with Confidence (Staying open vs standing firm).",
"signals": "Role holders who take credit for shared work, advice from outside the group dismissed out of hand, or nobody ever admitting a mistake."
},
{
"id": "inclusion",
"label": "Inclusion",
"meaning": "We proactively welcome people who are often marginalized or excluded. To us, this means we proactively invite marginalized voices to the planning table. We acknowledge a tension with Exclusivity/Focus (Big tent vs niche group).",
"signals": "Holding meetings in spaces or at times that are inaccessible to working parents or people with different schedules."
},
{
"label": "Inclusivity",
"meaning": "We actively welcome people who have been historically marginalized or excluded. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Using jargon that alienates newcomers or failing to provide translation for members who speak different languages."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We make sure people who are often left out belong here and have a real say. To us, this means we ask who is missing and what keeps them away, change our times, places and habits to fit them and make sure new and quiet members are heard before we decide. We acknowledge a tension with Focus (A big tent vs a clear purpose).",
"signals": "Inside jokes and jargon that leave newcomers lost, the same voices filling every meeting, or people who came once and never came back with nobody asking why."
},
{
"id": "independence",
"label": "Independence",
"meaning": "We avoid reliance on any single funding source or authority figure. To us, this means we maintain a diversified funding base to avoid dependency on one donor. We acknowledge a tension with Resources (Going it alone means less help).",
"signals": "Relying on a single large donor who threatens to pull funding if the organization takes a political stance they dislike."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "We avoid depending on any one funder, platform, landlord or person so that nobody outside the group can steer it. To us, this means we draw our money from more than one source, keep a backup for every tool and space we rely on, and turn down offers that come with a say over our choices. We acknowledge a tension with Interdependence (Standing on our own vs leaning on others).",
"signals": "One funder or platform the group could not survive losing, a partner who sets our priorities, or plans quietly dropped because someone outside might object."
},
{
"id": "innovation",
"label": "Innovation",
"meaning": "We value new ideas and creative solutions over tradition and established methods. To us, this means we reward novel approaches even if they disrupt current workflows. We acknowledge a tension with Tradition (New vs Old).",
"signals": "Shutting down new ideas with the excuse that things have always been done a certain way or refusing to allocate resources to test new concepts."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We try new ways of working and learn from what does not work. To us, this means any member can propose a trial for a set time with a date to look again, and a trial that fails counts as a lesson rather than a mark against anyone. We acknowledge a tension with Maintenance (Building something new vs tending what we have).",
"signals": "New ideas shut down because it has always been done another way, members blamed when a trial does not work, or nothing ever tried without a guarantee it will succeed."
},
{
"id": "integrity",
"label": "Integrity",
"meaning": "We align our actions with our stated values even when no one is watching. To us, this means we refuse contracts that violate our ethical standards, regardless of profit. We acknowledge a tension with Profit/Opportunity (Saying no to easy money).",
"signals": "Accepting a partnership that violates the group's core values because the financial offer is too good to refuse."
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We act on our values even when it costs us and nobody is watching. To us, this means we turn down money, partners and shortcuts that would have us break our own Rule, and we say so openly when we fall short of it. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Holding to our values vs keeping the group afloat).",
"signals": "A grant or partnership accepted that goes against what the group says it stands for, or values written in our Rule that appear nowhere in how we act."
},
{
"id": "interdependence",
"label": "Interdependence",
"meaning": "We recognize that our survival and success are tied to the well-being of others. To us, this means we map our supply chain to ensure we support local ecosystems. We acknowledge a tension with Self-Sufficiency (Relying on others vs prepping).",
"signals": "Acting as if the organization exists in a vacuum and ignoring the impact of its actions on the surrounding community or ecosystem."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "Our well-being is bound up with the people, groups and land around us. To us, this means before a big decision we ask how it will land on members’ lives outside the work, on neighboring groups and on the place we share, and we build ties we can lean on in hard times. We acknowledge a tension with Independence (Leaning on others vs standing on our own).",
"signals": "Acting as if the group stands alone, fixing one problem by pushing it onto members’ families or a neighboring group, or ignoring what our work does to the place we share."
},
{
"id": "interoperability",
"label": "Interoperability",
"meaning": "Our tools and systems are designed to work seamlessly with other open systems. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Building walled gardens that trap users or deliberately breaking compatibility with other open tools to lock people in."
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "Our tools and records work with other people’s tools so nobody gets locked in. To us, this means we choose software that exports in common formats and connects with what our partners already use, so members and allied groups can join in without buying anything new. We acknowledge a tension with Simplicity (Open tools vs the apps members already know).",
"signals": "Records trapped in an app nobody can export from, tools that shut out partner groups, or members forced onto a new platform just to keep taking part."
},
{
"id": "intersectionality",
"label": "Intersectionality",
"meaning": "We consider how different forms of discrimination overlap to affect individuals. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Focusing on a single issue like class while ignoring how race and gender compound the experience of oppression for some members."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "We pay attention to how racism, sexism, class, disability and other kinds of discrimination stack up in one person’s life. To us, this means before we decide we ask who is missing from the decision and who it will burden most, and we listen first to members who face more than one of them. We acknowledge a tension with Simplicity (Many different needs vs one rule for all).",
"signals": "Treating one issue such as class or race as the only one that matters, or decisions that help most members while landing hardest on those who already face the most."
},
{
"id": "joy",
"label": "Joy",
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We make room for fun, food and celebration in the work. To us, this means we share meals, mark wins and the end of someone’s term in a role, and keep meetings human enough that people want to come back. We acknowledge a tension with Seriousness (Time for fun vs the weight of the work).",
"signals": "Every meeting run as a crisis, wins that pass without anyone noticing, or members who describe the work only as a duty they cannot put down."
},
{
"id": "justice",
"label": "Justice",
"meaning": "We seek to repair past wrongs and create a fair system for the future. To us, this means we prioritize restorative processes over punitive ones. We acknowledge a tension with Mercy (Strict rules vs forgiveness).",
"signals": "Focusing on punishment and exclusion rather than healing and restoration or applying rules more strictly to marginalized members."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We work for a world where everyone has what they need and nobody’s needs count for less. To us, this means we name the causes behind the needs we meet, side with the people most harmed by them and judge our work by whether those conditions change. We acknowledge a tension with Inclusion (Taking a side vs welcoming everyone).",
"signals": "Meeting the same needs year after year without asking why they exist, staying quiet about the causes to keep a funder happy, or rules applied hardest to members with the least."
},
{
"label": "Knowledge Sharing",
"meaning": "We freely distribute information so that everyone can benefit from it. To us, this means we document everything in a public wiki. We acknowledge a tension with Intellectual Property (Open source vs patent).",
"signals": "Creating silos where information is hoarded to maintain power or refusing to document work so that others become dependent on a single expert."
},
{
"label": "Labor Rights",
"meaning": "We uphold the right of all workers to organize and advocate for their conditions. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Discouraging members from discussing their pay or working conditions or retaliating against those who try to organize."
"id": "labor-rights",
"label": "Labor rights",
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "We stand for every worker’s right to organize and speak up about their conditions, inside our group and beyond it. To us, this means anyone who works with us can talk openly about pay, hours and safety, nobody is punished for organizing and we honor strikes and picket lines that workers call. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (Honoring a strike vs keeping our commitments).",
"signals": "Members discouraged from comparing pay or conditions, anyone who raises a workplace concern losing shifts or standing, or the group crossing a picket line to save time or money."
},
{
"id": "leadership",
"label": "Leadership",
"meaning": "We encourage everyone to step up and take initiative when needed. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Waiting for permission to solve an obvious problem or complaining about an issue without offering to help fix it."
},
{
"label": "Learning",
"meaning": "We embrace mistakes as opportunities to grow rather than failures to be punished. To us, this means we fund conference tickets and book clubs for members. We acknowledge a tension with Performance (Study time vs work time).",
"signals": "Viewing mistakes as a sign of incompetence rather than a learning opportunity or cutting the budget for personal development."
},
{
"label": "Liberty",
"meaning": "We oppose authoritarian control and support the freedom of the individual. To us, this means we defend the right of members to fork the project if they disagree. We acknowledge a tension with Order (Chaos vs rules).",
"signals": "Imposing strict rules on personal behavior that has no impact on the work or demanding ideological purity tests for membership."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Anyone can step up to lead, and every lead is a job the group hands out for a time. To us, this means whoever leads a task does it with a mandate from the group, shares the work as they go and trains someone to take over when their term ends. We acknowledge a tension with Horizontalism (Stepping up vs staying equal).",
"signals": "Waiting for someone else to fix an obvious problem, the same person leading for years with nobody ready to take over, or a lead who decides beyond what the group asked of them."
},
{
"id": "localism",
"label": "Localism",
"meaning": "We prioritize local needs and resources over global or distant ones. To us, this means we source supplies from within a 50-mile radius. We acknowledge a tension with Globalism/Scale (Sourcing near vs sourcing cheap).",
"signals": "Importing goods that could be sourced locally to save a small amount of money or ignoring the needs of the immediate neighborhood."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We put the needs, people and resources of the place we live first. To us, this means we organize where we live and work, buy from and partner with nearby people and small businesses when we can and keep our money moving close to home. We acknowledge a tension with Interdependence (Rooted here vs connected to groups far away).",
"signals": "Buying from far away to save a little when a neighbor could supply it, or plans made for the region that skip what the people next door actually need."
},
{
"id": "maintenance",
"label": "Maintenance",
"meaning": "We value the unglamorous work of sustaining and fixing what we have already built. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Celebrating only new feature launches while neglecting the critical infrastructure that keeps the organization running."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We value the unglamorous work that keeps things running, and we share it. To us, this means repairs, updates, cleaning and admin are planned, shared out and thanked like any other work, and we fix what we have before we start something new. We acknowledge a tension with Innovation (Tending what exists vs building what is new).",
"signals": "Celebrating new projects while the tools, records and spaces everyone relies on fall apart, or upkeep left to the same one or two people without thanks."
},
{
"label": "Mentorship",
"meaning": "Experienced members actively guide and support newcomers. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Senior members refusing to spend time training juniors or creating a culture where asking for help is seen as weakness."
"id": "managing-conflict",
"label": "Managing conflict",
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We expect conflict and handle it early, in the smallest room that can hold it. To us, this means we go to the person rather than around them unless that is unsafe, the concern is discrimination or shared money, or one of us holds power over the other, use our conflict process when talking is not enough and never pretend a conflict is over for good. We acknowledge a tension with Transparency (Keeping it in a small room vs letting everyone know).",
"signals": "Conflicts aired in the group chat before the two people have talked, quarrels left to fester until someone quits, or members who raise a concern treated as troublemakers."
},
{
"label": "Meritocracy",
"meaning": "Influence is earned through active contribution and skill rather than status or wealth. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Rewarding people based on their confidence and social status rather than the actual quality and impact of their contributions."
},
{
"label": "Mutual Aid",
"meaning": "We engage in a reciprocal exchange of resources where everyone is both a giver and a receiver. To us, this means we practice 'solidarity, not charity' by exchanging resources directly. We acknowledge a tension with Charity (Solidarity vs Tax Write-offs).",
"signals": "Creating a transactional system where help is only given with the expectation of an immediate equivalent return."
"id": "mutual-aid",
"label": "Mutual aid",
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We meet each other’s needs directly as equals, in solidarity and never as charity. To us, this means everyone gives what they can and takes what they need, people who receive help can help run the work and decide how it is done, and we take people at their word about what they need. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Meeting every need vs not burning out).",
"signals": "Help that depends on proving need, a line between members who give and people who receive, or people who get help shut out of deciding how the work runs."
},
{
"id": "non-violence",
"label": "Non-violence",
"meaning": "We reject physical and emotional violence as a means to achieve our goals. To us, this means we de-escalate conflicts and refuse to engage with law enforcement where possible. We acknowledge a tension with Self-Defense (Turning cheek vs fighting back).",
"signals": "Using aggressive language or intimidation tactics to silence opposition or justifying harm as necessary for the greater good."
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "We do not use threats, force or intimidation against each other or against people who disagree with us. To us, this means members learn to calm a tense moment, we settle disputes by talking rather than by fear, and we decide together ahead of time how we will respond if someone threatens us. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (Holding back vs defending people under threat).",
"signals": "Shouting down or threatening people who disagree, harm excused as necessary for the cause, or a tense moment made worse because nobody knew how to calm it."
},
{
"label": "Open Source",
"meaning": "We make our work freely available for others to use; study; and modify. To us, this means Observable actions that demonstrate this value. We recognize that Values often trade off with Efficiency or Speed.",
"signals": "Releasing code without documentation or using a license that claims to be open but actually restricts commercial use or modification."
"id": "open-source",
"label": "Open source",
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "We make our work free for anyone to use, study, change and share. To us, this means we release our code, designs and guides under open licenses with what others need to use them, and we welcome contributions from outside the group and credit them. We acknowledge a tension with Sustainability (Free to use vs paid to make).",
"signals": "Code released without the source or the notes needed to use it, a license that calls itself open but blocks changes, or outside contributions ignored or taken without credit."
},
{
"id": "openness",
"label": "Openness",
"meaning": "We operate transparently and invite participation from the outside world. To us, this means All meetings are open to the public unless safety is at risk. We acknowledge a tension with Privacy/Security (Open doors let bugs in).",
"signals": "Conducting all real business in private messages and only using public meetings to rubber-stamp decisions that have already been made."
"family": "make-room",
"meaning": "Our door is open to anyone who can take part in our work, shares our aims and will take on the responsibilities of membership. To us, this means we write down how to join, ask every newcomer the same questions about shared commitments and never turn people away for who they are. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (An open door vs knowing who is in the room).",
"signals": "Joining that depends on knowing the right person, newcomers asked different questions depending on who they are, or no written way in at all."
},
{
"id": "participation",
"label": "Participation",
"meaning": "Democracy requires the active engagement of all members in the decision-making process. To us, this means we require active contribution to maintain voting rights. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Too many cooks).",
"signals": "Creating barriers to entry that make it difficult for new members to have a voice or ignoring the input of the broader membership."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Every member can take part in the decisions that shape the group. To us, this means we give notice before big decisions, hold them at times and in ways most members can join, and take written input from members who cannot come. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Hearing from everyone vs getting things done).",
"signals": "Big decisions made at short notice or when most members cannot attend, input asked for and then ignored, or new members left out of discussions that affect them."
},
{
"id": "peer-review",
"label": "Peer review",
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "Members check each other’s work before it goes out in the group’s name. To us, this means a second member looks over code, guides, flyers and money reports before they are shared, and reviews look at the work, never the person, and go both ways. We acknowledge a tension with Agency (A second pair of eyes vs trusting members to act).",
"signals": "Work that goes out in the group’s name with nobody else having seen it, reviews used to keep newcomers out, or the same one person approving everything."
},
{
"id": "prefiguration",
"label": "Prefiguration",
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We build inside the group now the world we are working toward. To us, this means how we decide, share work and treat each other matches what we say we want, so we choose shared power and care inside the group even when a shortcut would be faster. We acknowledge a tension with Effectiveness (Living our values now vs what works fastest).",
"signals": "A group that fights bosses while running itself with one, means excused because the cause is urgent, or decisions made for members that the group says people should make for themselves."
},
{
"id": "privacy",
"label": "Privacy",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "We collect as little about people as we can and protect what we keep. To us, this means we ask only for the details a task needs, keep rosters, addresses and meeting places out of shared and public channels, and use encrypted tools for anything sensitive. We acknowledge a tension with Transparency (Keeping it private vs letting members see the records).",
"signals": "Sign-in sheets that ask for names nobody needs, a roster or address posted in a public chat, or personal details kept for years in tools anyone can open."
},
{
"id": "reliability",
"label": "Reliability",
"meaning": "Members can count on one another to follow through on what they commit to. To us, this means we do what we say we will do and notify others early when plans must change. We acknowledge a tension with Flexibility (Sticking to the plan vs adapting).",
"signals": "Missing deadlines without notice or making ambitious commitments the group knows it cannot keep."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "Members can count on one another to follow through on what they commit to. To us, this means we take on only what we can carry, do what we said we would and tell the group early when plans must change. We acknowledge a tension with Flexibility (Keeping our word vs adapting to what comes up).",
"signals": "Missing shifts or deadlines without telling anyone, or making commitments the group already knows it cannot keep."
},
{
"id": "resilience",
"label": "Resilience",
"meaning": "The group can absorb shocks and keep functioning when conditions get hard. To us, this means we build redundancy into critical roles and document institutional knowledge so no single departure sinks the work. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Backup capacity vs lean operations).",
"signals": "Concentrating all critical knowledge in one person or ignoring warning signs of burnout until key members quit."
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "The group can take a hard blow and keep going. To us, this means at least two people can do every vital job and reach every account and key, and we keep a little in reserve so that one loss, departure or bad month does not sink the work. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Keeping spares vs using everything we have).",
"signals": "Everything vital known or held by one person, nothing kept in reserve, or warning signs of burnout ignored until key members quit."
},
{
"id": "respect",
"label": "Respect",
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We treat every member as someone worth hearing, most of all when we disagree. To us, this means we listen before we answer, let people finish, keep criticism about the idea and not the person, and use the names and pronouns people ask us to use. We acknowledge a tension with Freedom (Care in how we speak vs speaking freely).",
"signals": "Talking over people, mocking a question, arguing about the person instead of the idea, or getting someone’s name or pronouns wrong after being told."
},
{
"id": "restorative-justice",
"label": "Restorative justice",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "When someone causes harm we focus on repair and change rather than punishment. To us, this means we ask first what the person harmed needs, support the person who caused harm to take responsibility and make amends, and never push the person harmed to meet them. We acknowledge a tension with Safety (Working toward repair vs keeping people apart).",
"signals": "Punishment decided before anyone asks what the person harmed needs, pressure on them to forgive or meet, or removal used as the only answer to every harm."
},
{
"id": "right-to-repair",
"label": "Right to repair",
"family": "share-knowledge",
"meaning": "Everyone should be able to fix, change and keep using the things they depend on. To us, this means we choose tools, equipment and software we can repair or change ourselves, keep manuals and spare parts where members can find them and teach each other to fix what breaks. We acknowledge a tension with Convenience (Fixing it ourselves vs buying new).",
"signals": "Equipment that only one paid service can fix, software the group cannot change or move away from, or broken tools thrown out because nobody kept the manual."
},
{
"id": "safety",
"label": "Safety",
"family": "keep-safe",
"meaning": "Everyone should be able to take part without fear of harm. To us, this means we plan for the risks of our work, act at once when someone may be unsafe, get help from outside the group when danger is immediate and treat a pause in someone’s access as a precaution rather than a finding. We acknowledge a tension with Fairness (Acting at once vs hearing everyone out first).",
"signals": "Known risks nobody plans for, a member who reports a threat and is told to work it out alone, or someone who raised a safety concern losing their place or shifts."
},
{
"id": "self-governance",
"label": "Self-governance",
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "We write our own rules and change them together, and nobody outside the group writes them for us. To us, this means members agree to our Rule, any member can propose a change to it and we change it only by the method it names, so our rules fit how we really work. We acknowledge a tension with Cooperation (Our own rules vs what partners and the law expect).",
"signals": "Rules handed down by a founder, funder or parent group that members never agreed to, a Rule nobody can change, or written rules nobody follows in practice."
},
{
"id": "simplicity",
"label": "Simplicity",
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We keep our rules, tools and processes as light as the work allows. To us, this means we keep our Rule short enough that every member reads it, choose tools most members already use, and drop steps that slow the work without protecting anyone. We acknowledge a tension with Documentation (Keeping it light vs writing everything down).",
"signals": "Approval steps nobody can explain, a Rule so long that nobody reads it, or new members who need a guide just to find where decisions happen."
},
{
"id": "solidarity",
"label": "Solidarity",
"meaning": "We stand with one another, especially when members face pressure from outside forces. To us, this means we defend members against unjust treatment and share risk collectively rather than leaving anyone exposed. We acknowledge a tension with Individualism (Collective defense vs personal autonomy).",
"signals": "Staying silent when a member faces mistreatment or leaving vulnerable members to handle external pressure alone."
"family": "stand-together",
"meaning": "We stand with each other and with people in struggle beyond our group, because our futures are bound together. To us, this means we defend members who face unjust treatment, share risk rather than leave anyone exposed and show up for allied groups when they ask. We acknowledge a tension with Freedom (Acting together vs each member’s own choice).",
"signals": "Staying silent when a member is mistreated, leaving members to face a landlord, boss or the law alone or helping others only when it costs us nothing."
},
{
"id": "stewardship",
"label": "Stewardship",
"meaning": "We take responsibility for tending the shared resources and relationships entrusted to us. To us, this means we make decisions with future members in mind and reinvest in the infrastructure we depend on. We acknowledge a tension with Efficiency (Long-term care vs short-term output).",
"signals": "Extracting short-term value from shared resources without replenishing them or deferring maintenance until systems fail."
"family": "share-work",
"meaning": "We look after the money, tools, spaces and relationships we hold for the group and for those who come after us. To us, this means we decide with future members in mind, put money and time back into what we depend on and hand things over in better shape than we found them. We acknowledge a tension with Generosity (Saving for the long run vs giving it away now).",
"signals": "Using up shared money, tools or goodwill without putting anything back, putting off upkeep until something breaks or handing a role over with nothing written down."
},
{
"id": "sustainability",
"label": "Sustainability",
"family": "learn-and-last",
"meaning": "We work at a pace that people, money and the land can keep up for years. To us, this means we size what we take on to the people we have, rotate the hardest jobs, grow only as fast as we can bring new people in well and choose materials and practices that do the least harm to the land. We acknowledge a tension with Urgency (Pacing ourselves vs meeting every need now).",
"signals": "Plans bigger than the people available to carry them, the same few members running on empty, or waste and harm to the land treated as someone else’s problem."
},
{
"id": "transparency",
"label": "Transparency",
"meaning": "Decisions, finances, and processes are visible to the membership by default. To us, this means we publish meeting notes, budgets, and decision logs where all members can read them. We acknowledge a tension with Privacy (Open books vs personal disclosure).",
"signals": "Making major decisions in private channels and only announcing outcomes, or hiding finances behind vague summaries."
"family": "share-power",
"meaning": "Members can see how decisions are made, where the money goes and who holds which role. To us, this means our minutes, budgets and decision log sit in our records for every member to read, with personal details left out, and each entry says why a decision was made as well as what it was. We acknowledge a tension with Privacy (Open books vs personal details).",
"signals": "Big decisions made in private chats and announced afterward, money reports too vague to check, or members who have to ask a friend to learn who decided something."
},
{
"id": "trust",
"label": "Trust",
"meaning": "We extend good faith to one another and build relationships that can withstand disagreement. To us, this means we interpret others charitably and repair quickly when trust is strained. We acknowledge a tension with Accountability (Assuming good intent vs naming harm).",
"signals": "Jumping to worst-case interpretations of ambiguous behavior or withholding repair when a breach could be addressed directly."
"family": "treat-each-other",
"meaning": "We give each other good faith and build relationships strong enough to hold disagreement. To us, this means we assume people mean well until we learn otherwise, ask before we judge, and repair quickly when trust is strained. We acknowledge a tension with Accountability (Assuming good intent vs naming harm).",
"signals": "Assuming the worst about a member’s motives, talking about people instead of to them, or leaving a strained relationship unrepaired when one conversation could mend it."
},
{
"id": "voluntarism",
"label": "Voluntarism",
"meaning": "Participation is freely chosen rather than coerced, and contribution is recognized on its own terms. To us, this means we don't pressure members into tasks they haven't consented to and we honor their right to step back. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (Free participation vs guaranteed coverage).",
"signals": "Using guilt or social pressure to extract labor from members or shaming people who decline additional responsibilities."
"family": "stay-free",
"meaning": "Everyone takes part by choice, and every contribution counts on its own terms. To us, this means members choose what they take on, nobody is pushed or guilted into a task, and anyone can step back without explaining or losing their place. We acknowledge a tension with Reliability (Free choice vs knowing the work gets covered).",
"signals": "Guilt or pressure used to fill shifts, members shamed for saying no to more work, or people who step back treated as if they had quit."
}
]
}