Section 7 ‐ Required Agreements & Commitments - ApertureViewer/Aperture-Opertations-Manual GitHub Wiki

Formal membership within the Aperture Viewer team requires an explicit commitment to the project's values, operational standards, and legal frameworks. All individuals joining the team in any formal capacity, regardless of their role, must review, understand, and formally agree to the following documents before being granted full access to internal resources or undertaking official project responsibilities. This ensures a shared understanding, protects the project and its contributors, and fosters a secure and respectful working environment.

7.1 Code of Conduct (CoC)

  • Purpose: To establish clear, unambiguous standards for behavior within all Aperture Viewer project spaces (including, but not limited to, Discord, GitHub, in-world interactions while representing the project, and internal team communications). Its goal is to ensure a safe, positive, respectful, inclusive, and productive environment for everyone.
  • Requirement: All team members must formally acknowledge they have read, understood, and agree to abide by the Code of Conduct.
  • Full Text: The full Aperture Viewer Code of Conduct is provided in Appendix [E].

7.2 Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

  • Purpose: To protect confidential project information, internal strategic discussions, sensitive communications, and potentially proprietary development concepts from unauthorized disclosure. This ensures a trusted space for open dialogue within the team and protects the project's strategic interests.
  • Requirement: All team members (Core Leadership, Advisory Board, and any other formally recognized members with access to internal channels/discussions) must sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement.
  • Template: The standard Aperture Viewer Non-Disclosure Agreement is provided in Appendix [F].

7.3 Contributor License Agreement (CLA)

  • Purpose: To clarify the terms under which contributions (code, documentation, artwork, translations, or other content) are made to the Aperture Viewer project. It grants the project the necessary rights to use, modify, and distribute these contributions under its open-source license (LGPL v2.1), thereby protecting both the contributor and the project from future legal ambiguity regarding intellectual property rights.
  • Requirement: All team members, regardless of their primary role, and any external individual wishing to submit code or significant content, must sign the Contributor License Agreement before their contributions can be formally accepted and merged into the project. This applies even if a team member does not initially plan to contribute code/content, as incidental contributions can occur.
  • Template: The standard Aperture Viewer Contributor License Agreement is provided in Appendix [K].

7.4 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Statement

  • Purpose: To articulate Aperture Viewer's specific philosophy and commitment regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, based on its core values.
  • Requirement: All team members are expected to understand and support the principles outlined in the DEI Statement.
  • Full Text: The Aperture Viewer Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement is provided in Appendix [G].

7.5 Role-Specific Agreements

  • Purpose: Certain roles, particularly those with significant public-facing responsibilities or specific operational duties, may require additional agreements outlining specific standards or limitations (e.g., the Community & Social Media Manager Conduct Agreement).
  • Requirement: If applicable, individuals in these roles must review and agree to these additional documents as part of their onboarding.

The formal acknowledgment and (where applicable) signing of these documents are integral parts of the onboarding process (see Section 6.3) and are mandatory for sustained formal membership within the Aperture Viewer team.