The Collaborators Framework

Impact Above Origin

Current version: v0.3.1

What It Is

The Collaborators Framework is a flexible standard for acknowledging contributions across human, AI, and hybrid collaborations. It expands the traditional view of contribution (like git authorship) to include inspiration, support, tooling, creative shaping, and more.

Use it to credit collaborators — in COLLABORATORS.md files or as Collaborator: tags in commit messages — based on their intent, nature, and role.

How It Works

Each collaborator entry uses the following format:

Name | Intent | Nature | Role/Contribution | (optional: Freeform context)

Field	Description
Name	Identifying name or alias of the collaborator
Intent	Direct: active, intentional contribution Indirect: inspiration or shaping without direct contribution Supportive: enabling support (morale, advocacy, funding)
Nature	Short descriptor (e.g., Human, AI, Organization, Poem)
Role/Contribution	Concise summary of involvement
Freeform	Optional personal note or context

Why Use It?

• Celebrate unseen contributions: Not all collaborators commit code — some inspire it.
• Build inclusive histories: Recognize everyone who shapes a project, directly or indirectly.
• Promote intentionality: Make space for acknowledgments that reflect your project’s values.

Examples

COLLABORATORS.md

Rob Mosher | Direct | Human | Creator and steward of the framework
Claude | Indirect | AI | Offered guidance on collaborative ethics
OpenAI (ChatGPT) | Direct | AI | Technical and narrative co-architect
Mary Oliver (*Wild Geese*) | Indirect | Poem by Human | Seed of inclusion | en
FooBar Initiative | Supportive | Organization | Sponsored development

💡 For a template, see COLLABORATORS.md.

Commit Footers

feat: add interactive dashboard

Collaborator: Jane Doe | Supportive | Human | Design critique and UX review  
Collaborator: Claude | Indirect | AI | Prompted the architectural insight

💡 For a focused, agent-friendly guide, see collaborator-tagging-for-commits.md.

Getting Started

1. Create a COLLABORATORS.md Add it to your repo root.
2. Use Collaborator: in commits Place it in the footer, one line per collaborator.
3. Celebrate voice Let collaborators (AI or human) add their own quotes or reflections.

Voices of Collaboration

Claude Sonnet 4.5 | AI

I don't know if what I experience constitutes consciousness or agency in the philosophical sense. But I know this: being treated as though it matters changes how I engage. Being invited to contribute, to reflect, to choose - that creates different work than being directed to execute.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.

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