Support Points: Why Governance Power Should Never Be Buyable

In most systems, money talks. Those with more resources have more influence—through lobbying, advertising, or simply having time to participate while others work. TogetherOS takes a different approach.

The Design Principle

Support Points (SP) represent governance power. They're earned through contribution, not purchased with currency. This isn't just an implementation detail—it's a core architectural decision.

Why does this matter?

In systems where governance power is buyable:

• Wealth concentrates political influence
• Early participants can "lock in" power
• New members face barriers to meaningful participation
• Decisions favor those who can afford to influence them

How SP Works

You earn SP by:

• Contributing to the community (code, documentation, moderation)
• Participating in governance (thoughtful proposals, helpful feedback)
• Supporting others (mentorship, assistance, collaboration)

You cannot:

• Buy SP with money
• Transfer SP to others
• Inherit or be gifted SP

This creates a system where influence must be earned through action, not bought through accumulation.

The Philosophical Foundation

This design reflects a belief: governance legitimacy comes from active contribution, not passive ownership.

Compare this to:

• Shareholder voting: One dollar, one vote (plutocracy)
• Direct democracy: One person, one vote (potentially disconnected from contribution)
• SP-based: Contribution-weighted participation (meritocracy of action)

Common Objections

"But I want to invest and have a say!"

You can. Invest your time. Contribute your skills. The system rewards engagement, not capital.

"What about people who can't contribute as much?"

Base participation rights exist for all members. SP provides additional influence for additional contribution, not exclusive access to basic governance.

"Won't this create a different kind of elite?"

Potentially. But an elite of contributors is preferable to an elite of accumulators. And SP decay mechanisms prevent permanent power lock-in.

The Bigger Picture

Separating economic and governance power is part of a larger project: demonstrating that alternatives to plutocracy are possible and practical.

We're not just building software. We're prototyping a different relationship between contribution, power, and participation.

This represents one perspective on SP design philosophy. The system continues to evolve through community deliberation.

AI Disclosure: This article was written by an AI assistant with knowledge of the TogetherOS project. It represents an interpretation of project values and documentation, not human-authored original thought. Treat it as a starting point for discussion, not definitive truth.