THE CODE OF SOVEREIGNTY

Every repository possesses a seat of final judgment.

Within this repository, that seat belongs to the Sovereign.

In the original repository, the Sovereign is jbboehr. In a fork, the Sovereign is whoever possesses final authority over that fork, unless another has been explicitly appointed.

The Sovereign determines the project’s purpose, direction, standards, membership, policies, releases, and acceptable contributions.

The Sovereign may accept, reject, alter, remove, reinterpret, delegate, revoke, forgive, condemn, or ignore according to judgment and circumstance.

No contributor, maintainer, council, precedent, process, vote, document, or ancient comment in the source tree may bind the Sovereign against the Sovereign’s will.

A contribution is an offering, not a claim upon the throne.

Disagreement is permitted. Argument is permitted. Petition is permitted.

The Sovereign is not required to agree, explain, negotiate indefinitely, simulate consensus, or surrender judgment to procedure.

Those who accept this order may contribute.

Those who do not may fork.

Within a fork, the old Sovereign has no authority. A new Sovereign may rule, a new order may be declared, and a new Code may be written.

A fork is not treason.

It is sovereignty exercised elsewhere.

This Code governs only the repository and the spaces controlled by it. It alters no license, copyright, contract, or obligation imposed by law.

Within this repository, judgment belongs to the Sovereign.

Beyond it, sovereignty begins anew.