pastcontribute

Pastcontribute is a conceptual framework and data repository for recording and presenting an individual's past contributions to projects, teams, or initiatives. The goal is to improve attribution, accountability, and discoverability of historical work across platforms. Pastcontribute entries document all qualified activities, such as code commits, documentation, design work, testing, translations, mentoring, or community moderation, tied to a specific project or artifact and dated or dated range. The standard emphasizes verifiability, privacy controls, and consent, ensuring contributors control which data are shared.

Data model and interoperability: Each entry includes contributor identity (with consent and privacy settings), contribution type, project name, description, date or period, quantity when applicable (for example, lines of code, hours), evidence references (PR links, ticket numbers), provenance source, and status. Pastcontribute is designed as an open standard with machine-readable schemas (JSON, RDF) and APIs to export, import, or query records across tools such as version control systems, issue trackers, documentation platforms, and learning management systems.

Governance and usage: Adoption is typically community-led, with a lightweight governance model and opt-in participation. Data stewardship focuses on accuracy, consent, and revision history. Use cases include acknowledging historical work for academic or funding reports, mentoring records, or long-term project history.

Limitations and considerations: Risks include privacy concerns, data accuracy, double counting, and the potential for gaming attribution. Best practices emphasize verification, consent management, and clear contribution boundaries.

See also: attribution, open-source contribution, contribution history, version control, provenance.