White Paper: Contribution-Based Governance for Developer Communities

Hi HN! I've been thinking about why developer communities are controlled by corporate boards instead of the developers who create the value.

This white paper explores a new governance model where: - Every contribution (posts, code reviews, helpful answers) earns "Stars" - Stars = voting power on platform decisions (features, policies, algorithms) - Community votes on everything from tech stack to moderation rules - Transparent, democratic process with public voting records

The core insight: developers deserve platforms where their voices actually matter in decision-making, not just engagement metrics.

I'd love your thoughts on the governance mechanisms, potential abuse vectors, and whether this could work at scale.

AMA