You can contribute useful work to Space Lab at every level. You do not have to master the next level to make a difference at the one you choose.
Perco—the Personal Commons—supports a range of ways to participate: finding information, adding useful materials to the Bog, running demonstrations, making artifacts, developing software, and reviewing proposed changes. The Perco Skills Ladder describes these capabilities and gives each one a practical milestone.
Perco can also work locally as a standalone collection, with drag-and-drop intake, indexing, and tags. Participation in a shared Commons adds access to authorized material in the Bog: our collection of ideas, notes, tools, code, and working artifacts. An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Codex, or another suitable tool can help at every level.
Choose a useful place to begin
The levels describe increasing capabilities, not compulsory stages or an automatic permission hierarchy. You might move directly from Viewer to Maker, or remain a Contributor whose well-identified materials help everyone else.
Perco Skills Ladder
| Level | Role | Access | Tools | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Personal User | Own local Bog; no shared Commons access required | Perco standalone, AI assistant | Drag and drop, index, tag, search, retrieve, organize local content |
| 0 | Viewer | Local Perco + read authorized Commons Bog content | Perco, AI, Commons connection | Explore, search, summarize and use shared information |
| 1 | Contributor | Viewer + submit to shared Bog | Perco intake, AI | Share files, identify sources, assign tags and metadata |
| 2 | Explorer | Contributor + run approved shared tools | Perco launcher, AI | Run demonstrations, interpret results, report observations |
| 3 | Maker | Create and publish Commons artifacts | Perco, AI, editors, optional Python | Build, test and share useful artifacts and executables |
| 4 | Developer | Local software checkout | AI coding agent, Python, Git, IDE | Modify, execute, debug and test software |
| 5 | Software Contributor | Propose repository changes | Git hosting, AI coding agent | Branch, commit, submit PRs, address feedback |
| 6 | Software Reviewer | Review proposed software changes | Git review tools, AI, CI results | Evaluate changes, tests, compatibility and security |
This is a progression of capabilities, not a mandatory sequence or an automatic grant of permissions. Shared access, running tools, publishing, and review approval require the appropriate authorization.
Practical milestones
- Viewer: Find and open an artifact.
- Contributor: Submit an artifact with usable identification.
- Explorer: Run a Commons demo and describe its behavior.
- Maker: Create a working artifact that someone else can use.
- Developer: Modify a local program and demonstrate the change.
- Software Contributor: Submit a PR with an explanation and evidence that it works.
- Software Reviewer: Review a PR, identify issues, and recommend acceptance or revision.
Capability and authority are separate
AI assistance is welcome at every level. A Maker need not know Python syntax if an AI agent can create the program and the Maker can demonstrate that it satisfies the requirement. The participant remains responsible for checking the result.
Access is independent of proficiency. An excellent software reviewer might have only Viewer access to a particular project. Review authorization must be explicitly granted; demonstrating a skill does not automatically expand access.
Git is not an entry requirement. Participants can use the Bog, share demonstrations, and build artifacts without installing Git. Git becomes useful when they begin changing managed software.
Review is separate from merge authority. A Software Reviewer may provide technical review and authorized approval. Permission to merge into the main branch, release software, or administer the Commons is separately controlled. Repository Maintainer, Release Manager, and Commons Administrator are separate operational roles.
Useful results demonstrate capability. The ladder measures what participants can do, rather than training completed. Each milestone should involve a practical result—preferably an artifact that helps someone else.
Start where you can contribute
Find something useful. Add a clearly identified resource. Try a demonstration and report what happened. Build a small artifact and show that it works. Each of these is a contribution in its own right.
Make the lowest level useful, make advancement easy, and grant authority only where it is needed.
To join the Sacramento L5 Society Space Engineering Lab, contact Ed Kulis at [email protected].
