Contributing to PSVL

Thank you for helping improve PSVL.

This document explains how to contribute, what kinds of contributions are welcome, and what to expect when you submit one.

Before You Start

• Read the README.md and at least skim PSVL.txt
• Review the Code of Conduct
• Search existing issues and discussions to avoid duplicates

Ways to Contribute

What you want to do	Where to go
Report a legal gap or missing protection	Open a Legal Gap issue
Report a conflict between clauses	Open a Clause Conflict issue
Propose a new clause	Open a Clause Proposal issue
Submit a direct fix (typo, wording, structure)	Open a Pull Request
Improve documentation (README, FAQ, CHANGELOG, etc.)	Open a Pull Request
Suggest a translation of the template	Open a Discussion first
Ask a general question	Start a Discussion
Report a security or loophole issue privately	SECURITY.md — do not open a public issue

Workflow

1. Fork this repository
2. Create a branch named for your change (e.g., fix/typo-section-4.5)
3. Make your change following the style guide below
4. Open a Pull Request against main using the template
5. Respond to review feedback if any is requested
6. Wait for merge — the Author has sole discretion on acceptance

Style Guide

• Plain text formatting: PSVL.txt uses ASCII dividers and a fixed indentation pattern. Match the existing style.
• Line length: Keep lines under ~80 characters where reasonable.
• Numbering: Do not renumber clauses unless explicitly fixing a numbering bug. New clauses go at the end of their topical area.
• Defined terms: Capitalize defined terms (e.g., Software, Repository, Pull Request, End User) when used as defined.
• Cross-references: Use the form clause X.Y for sub-clauses and Section X for full sections.

Important — Contributor Terms

By submitting any contribution (code, text, translation, or otherwise) to this repository:

• You confirm you are at least 18 years old
• You agree to the intellectual property assignment terms in Section 5 of PSVL.txt
• You confirm the contribution is your own original work and does not infringe any third-party rights
• You understand the Author has sole discretion to accept, modify, or reject any contribution

Reviewing and Acceptance

• All Pull Requests are reviewed by the Author
• Response times vary; PSVL is maintained in spare time
• Feedback may request changes before merging
• Not every contribution will be accepted — this is normal and not a reflection on the contributor’s effort

Credit

Accepted contributors are credited in the CHANGELOG.md. Contributors may also reference their accepted contributions on personal portfolios, resumes, or LinkedIn (see clause 3.6.9 of PSVL.txt).

Questions

If anything in this document is unclear, open a Discussion and ask.