From f2f0e2cc05ca883bf24ba8696efc793b21c20384 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Mykola Mokhnach Date: Sat, 10 Oct 2026 08:48:10 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] docs(governance): clarify that contributions are voluntary (#22938) --- GOVERNANCE.md | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 25 insertions(+) diff --git a/GOVERNANCE.md b/GOVERNANCE.md index 7986fb5d0..1c8d46a6c 100644 --- a/GOVERNANCE.md +++ b/GOVERNANCE.md @@ -149,6 +149,31 @@ a discretionary of special basis. Basically, this scheme is run at the project's not a public service. Making contributions to the project under this scheme does not obligate the project to pay you for such work, or otherwise compensate you in any way. +### Contributions Are Voluntary + +Appium is a community-driven open source project, and all contributions to it are voluntary. +Opening a pull request, or responding to review feedback, does not create a contract, a +commission, a work-for-hire arrangement, or any other obligation on the part of the project, its +Committers, the TC, or the OpenJS Foundation. In particular: + +- The project does not hire contractors, assign paid tasks, or quote per-PR, per-task, or hourly +rates. The "value tiers" above are an after-the-fact, discretionary gesture of appreciation, not +a price list. +- Compensation can't be requested, negotiated, or promised in advance, and it must not be made a +condition for starting, continuing, or revising a contribution. A value tier is only assigned by a +Committer after a change has been merged, and may be zero. +- Review feedback, including requests to extend, rework, or re-scope a change, is a normal part of +getting it merged and is never a reason to ask for additional payment. +- Contributors are free to stop working on a change at any time. Maintainers may pick it up, or +close it if it does not suit the project. +- Contributions that appear to be primarily motivated by obtaining payouts (for example, bulk or +low-effort changes, including AI-generated ones submitted without understanding or testing them) +may be closed, and repeated abuse of the scheme may result in the contributor being excluded from +it and from the project's spaces. Contributors are fully responsible for the content they submit, +regardless of the tools used to produce it. + +If you are not comfortable contributing on these terms, please do not contribute. + ### Raising Issues Related to Governance This governance model necessarily leaves many situations unspecified. If