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Galileo Protocol · MMXXVI

Contributing to the Galileo Luxury Standard

The Galileo Luxury Standard is an open, neutral standard for product traceability and provenance in the luxury goods industry. All contributions are welcome, regardless of your membership status — whether you represent a major maison, an independent artisan, a technology provider, or are simply passionate about luxury goods authenticity.

Ways to Contribute

Report Issues

Found an ambiguity in the specification? Encountered a problem implementing it? Open an issue describing the problem and, if possible, suggest a solution.

  • Bug reports— Errors or inconsistencies in the specification
  • Clarification requests— Sections that are unclear or confusing
  • Implementation feedback— Real-world issues discovered during adoption

Propose Changes

Significant changes to the specification go through the RFC process:

  • New features or capabilities
  • Modifications to existing features
  • Breaking changes (require extended review)

Review RFCs

Active RFCs need community input during their review periods:

  • Read open RFC pull requests
  • Comment with technical feedback
  • Share implementation perspectives
  • Raise concerns or suggest improvements

Improve Documentation

Clear documentation lowers the barrier to adoption. Fix typos, add examples, improve diagrams, and translate documentation. Minor documentation fixes can be submitted as direct pull requests without an RFC.

Build Reference Implementations

Demonstrate that the specification works in practice:

  • Create conformant implementations
  • Share implementation guides
  • Contribute test suites
  • Report implementation experiences

Translate

Community translations are encouraged to improve accessibility, but the English version is authoritative. Translations are community-maintained and non-binding.

Getting Started

  1. Read the specificationto understand what you're contributing to
  2. Review open RFCs to see current discussions
  3. Join public TSC meetings as an observer to understand governance
  4. Start small— a documentation fix or RFC comment is a great first contribution

Contribution Process

For Small Changes

Typos, grammar fixes, formatting improvements, and minor clarifications:

  1. Fork the repository
  2. Make your changes
  3. Submit a Pull Request with a clear description
  4. A maintainer will review and merge

No RFC required for editorial changes that don't affect specification semantics.

For Significant Changes

New features, behavioral changes, or modifications to existing functionality:

  1. Draft an RFC using the RFC template
  2. Open a Pull Request with title RFC: [Your Title]
  3. Engage with feedback during the review period
  4. Revise as needed based on community input
  5. Await TSC decision after the review period ends

Review Periods

Review periods vary by change type:

  • Minor changes (non-breaking clarifications): 2 weeks
  • Major changes (new features, enhancements): 30 days
  • Breaking changes (backward-incompatible): 60 days

See the RFC Process for complete details.

DCO Sign-off

All contributions require a Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO) sign-off. The DCO is a lightweight alternative to Contributor License Agreements (CLAs).

What is the DCO?

The DCO certifies that you have the right to submit your contribution and agree to license it under Apache 2.0.

How to Sign Off

Add the following line to your commit messages:

Signed-off-by: Your Name <your.email@example.com>

Git shortcut: Use the -s flag when committing:

git commit -s -m "Your commit message"

Why We Require This

  • Ensures all contributions can be legally included in the standard
  • Protects both contributors and the project
  • Certifies you have the right to submit under Apache 2.0
  • Industry standard practice (Linux Foundation, Apache projects)

Code of Conduct

All contributors are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct. We are committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment. Report violations to conduct@galileoprotocol.io.

Language

The official language of the Galileo Luxury Standard is English. All specification text, RFC discussions, and TSC meetings are conducted in English. The English version is authoritative for interpretation.

Recognition

Contributors are recognized in several ways:

  • Git history preserves authorship
  • RFC authorship is recorded in accepted RFCs
  • Contributor lists acknowledge significant contributions
  • Active Contributors may become eligible for TSC election (requires accepted contribution within prior 12 months)

Questions?

  • Technical questions— Open an issue
  • Process questions— Review this document and the RFC Process
  • Governance questions — See the Governance Charter
  • General inquiries — info@galileoprotocol.io