Desirable Properties Challenge
Help Build the Foundation of the Meta-Layer
The Desirable Properties define what the Meta-Layer should make possible for humanity. Together, we're refining these properties into Version 1.0 — a clear, community-developed foundation that will guide the design and implementation of the Meta-Layer substrate.
The Desirable Properties are not implementation details. They describe the capabilities, protections, freedoms, governance mechanisms, and social outcomes we want the Meta-Layer to support.
Version 1.0 will become the foundation for:
- defining the minimum requirements for the Meta-Layer substrate
- evaluating architecture decisions through Architecture Decision Records (ADRs)
- informing technical specifications and ML-RFCs
- guiding implementations across independent projects
- ensuring the underlying infrastructure enables human agency, trust, interoperability, and collective intelligence
The Desirable Properties define what humanity wants the Meta-Layer to enable. The substrate defines how those capabilities are implemented.
Getting the “what” right is the community's first and most important architectural decision.
Three Ways to Contribute
Whether you have ten minutes or want to help shape Version 1.0 over several weeks, there's a place to contribute.
1. Integrate Your Existing Ideas
≈10 minutesAlready have ideas? Perhaps you've written a paper, drafted notes, built a project, published research, or simply have thoughts about what the future Internet should support.
Use the DP Community AI to:
- compare your ideas with the current Desirable Properties
- identify where your ideas are already represented
- discover missing capabilities or gaps
- generate suggested patches or revisions
- prepare your ideas for community discussion
Whether your ideas exist as documents, notes, presentations, or free-form thoughts, the AI can help integrate them into the community process.
2. Review the Desirable Properties
≈1–3 hoursRead the current draft and help improve it two ways:
- Discuss on the book — read chapters and comment with the community on book.desirableproperties.org (comments are live now). Passage-level patching on the book is coming.
- Patch on Gov Hub — open a draft, select a passage, and submit a specific text revision on Gov Hub.
You can also identify missing concepts, suggest examples, challenge assumptions, and recommend new Desirable Properties. Every thoughtful review strengthens Version 1.0.
3. Join a Workgroup
≈2–10+ hoursHelp synthesize community feedback into Version 1.0.
Workgroups review comments, patches, proposals, and challenge submissions for one or more Desirable Properties. The DP Community AI assists by:
- clustering related submissions
- identifying recurring themes
- surfacing unresolved questions
- highlighting areas of agreement and disagreement
- generating synthesis drafts
- helping compare alternative proposals
People make the decisions. AI helps organize the conversation. Together, workgroups discuss tradeoffs, build rough consensus, and prepare recommended revisions for the editorial process.
This collaborative synthesis work will be most active during late August and early September as Version 1.0 takes shape. If you'd like to help architect the future Meta-Layer, this is where you'll have the greatest impact.
Workgroups, in Brief
Workgroups exist for one purpose: to help develop and refine the Desirable Properties into Version 1.0. It's a bounded commitment, not a permanent committee — after Version 1.0 publishes, participants decide whether and how they'd like to keep contributing.
Members read drafts, discuss on the book, patch on Gov Hub, and join workgroup discussion at their own pace — no obligation to attend every meeting. Coordinators and Co-Leads facilitate; they don't own a property or make unilateral calls.
Recognition Through Desirable Properties Badges
Every contribution helps build the foundation of the Meta-Layer, and meaningful participation will be recognized through the Desirable Properties Badge system.
One Badge for Every Desirable Property
Each Desirable Property has its own base badge. When you contribute to a specific DP, you earn that property's badge.
Over time, contributors build a portfolio representing the parts of the Meta-Layer they helped shape.
Role Overlays
Badges can include overlays that recognize how you contributed. Examples include:
- Member
- Workgroup Coordinator
- Co-Lead
- Reviewer
- Patch Contributor
- Steward
A single badge may contain multiple overlays reflecting different forms of participation.
Contribution Evidence
Badges aren't just symbols. When minted, they can include links to the actual work that earned them, such as:
- proposed patches
- workgroup documents
- meeting notes
- discussion threads
- pull requests
- implementation examples
- published articles
- supporting research
- other public contribution records
This creates verifiable recognition connected directly to community contributions.
Extensible Metadata
Badge metadata can evolve to include:
- Desirable Property number and title
- contributor roles and workgroup
- contribution summary and links
- version number and dates
- supporting resources and implementation evidence
- issuer information
This creates a lasting record of participation that grows alongside the Meta-Layer ecosystem. Badges recognize contribution — they do not confer ownership, authority, or governance rights.
Why Participate?
The Meta-Layer will shape how people collaborate, govern, coordinate, learn, create, and build trust online. The Desirable Properties are our opportunity to define the capabilities that infrastructure should support before those capabilities become code.
Your experience matters. Whether you are a technologist, researcher, designer, educator, policymaker, community organizer, entrepreneur, student, or simply someone with ideas about a better Internet, your perspective can help strengthen this shared foundation.
Together, we can build infrastructure that better serves humanity.
Ready to Help?
Choose the level of participation that fits your schedule. No matter how you contribute, you'll be helping define the foundational requirements that guide the next generation of Internet infrastructure.
Use the DP Community AI
Integrate your ideas in about 10 minutes.
Use the DP Community AI →Review the Desirable Properties
Read and discuss on the book (comments live). Patch drafts on Gov Hub.
Review the Desirable Properties →Join a Workgroup
Help synthesize community feedback into Version 1.0.
Join a Workgroup →Nominate a Workgroup Coordinator
Help coordinate one of the collaborative synthesis teams.
Nominate a Workgroup Coordinator →