You do not need to understand every part of The Solar Guild before participating. Start with one problem, one Objective, one review, one source, or one specific contribution.

Contents (3 sections)

Choose a path

Active work
If you...Start with...
Have one confusing work expectationReview the expectation-alignment method and choose an appropriate next step
Represent an organization with one specific unmet needBring a possible Objective with scope, budget, reviewer, and response authority
Have relevant experienceReview one kind of specific work within a declared scope
Research systems, lived experience, or weak signalsApply to Emergent Research Group with one bounded question, observation, or synthesis need
Build tools, products, workflows, or operationsApply to Amaborg Mechanized Systems with one defined mechanism, defect, burden, or handoff
Connect a verified result with people, partners, or demandApply to Community Impact Alliance with one evidence-backed result and an adoption, partnership, or distribution question
Want to challenge the projectName the claim, evidence, risk, or better alternative clearly

Fair exchange

Active work
  • Every Objective states whether the exchange is paid, educational, voluntary, or public-interest before commitment.
  • Work creating commercial value, replacing paid work, or otherwise likely to be purchased should ordinarily be paid. A noncash Objective must be time-limited, non-displacing, voluntary, and valuable without a speculative future opportunity.
  • Volunteer or educational work must be genuinely voluntary, specific, non-displacing, and useful to the contributor.
  • Payment, support, status, or connections do not buy review outcomes or control over private worker information.
  • Credit, ownership, confidentiality, and the right to keep a safe record should be stated before work begins.

When not to participate

Active work
  • The scope, payment, data use, ownership, or reviewer is unclear.
  • The work appears to replace ordinary paid labor without valid compensation.
  • Participation could expose confidential information or increase retaliation risk.
  • The project asks for belief, loyalty, identity, or urgency instead of clear terms.
  • A mature existing program already serves the need better.

References and limits

This page is published by The Solar Guild. Sources are listed so readers can inspect the basis of the page. A project statement is not independent proof unless the page identifies supporting outside evidence.

  • Current participation and compensation boundaries
  • SGUILD.com Objective, Opening, Team, and Charter model