Public User Profile Spike (not needed)

### Overview

This spike explores the structure, data model, governance considerations, and implementation approach for introducing Public User Profiles within the Boost ecosystem.

Public User Profiles will provide a consolidated, Boost-owned view of contributor activity and expertise. The goal is to surface contribution signals natively within Boost and create public, shareable profiles that are meaningful both inside and outside the community.

The output of this spike will be a strategy document defining how Public User Profiles should be designed and implemented.

### Objective
To define a clear, credible, and technically feasible approach for introducing Public User Profiles that:
• Aggregate contribution signals across Boost
• Strengthen contributor incentives
• Surface trust and stewardship signals
• Provide publicly shareable URLs suitable for external reference

### Problem Context
Currently:
• Contribution is fragmented across libraries, releases, documentation, and GitHub
• Contributor identity is largely external and difficult to interpret in a Boost-specific context
• There is no consolidated view of cumulative impact within Boost
• Boost cannot natively surface trust, progression, or stewardship signals
Without a unified profile view, contribution remains largely invisible and incentive to participate remains weak.

### Opportunity Context
Public User Profiles provide:
• A consolidated, Boost-native view of contribution
• Clear visibility into expertise and stewardship
• A shareable, resume-worthy public artefact

### Scope of Spike
Discovery Areas
1. Profile Structure
• Core profile fields (name, bio, avatar, etc.)
• Contribution summary sections
• Library associations
• Releases and maintenance history
• Documentation and content contributions
2. Contribution Aggregation Model
• What contribution types are included
• How signals are weighted or displayed
• Historical vs recent contribution handling
• Manual vs automated signals
3. Identity & Data Model
• Mapping GitHub identity to Boost profile
• Handling multiple identities
• Ownership and verification model
• Public vs private data considerations
4. Visibility & UX Principles
• Public URL structure
• Shareability and external referencing
• Profile discoverability within Boost
• Trust and credibility signalling
5. Governance Considerations
• Oversight model for profile accuracy
• Handling disputes or corrections
• Safeguards against misleading representation
6. Technical Feasibility
• Required backend changes
• Data ingestion from GitHub and internal systems
• Performance considerations
• Caching and update frequency
7. Phased Implementation Strategy
• Sequencing and dependencies
• Integration points with existing site architecture

### Out of Scope
• Achievements & Badging system design
• Leaderboards or competitive ranking
• Social networking features
• Replacement of GitHub identity

### Deliverable
A structured strategy document that includes:
1. Conceptual Model
• High-level architecture of Public User Profiles
• Profile structure and data model
2. Contribution Signal Framework
• Rules for aggregation and display
3. Governance Framework
• Oversight model
• Data accuracy and correction policies
4. Technical Architecture Overview
• Data sources
• Integration points
• Backend requirements
5. Implementation Roadmap
• Phased rollout plan
• Dependencies and sequencing
6. Risk Assessment
• Technical risks
• Governance risks
• Incentive risks

### Acceptance Criteria
• A written strategy document is produced
• The document clearly defines:
• Profile structure and contribution model
• Governance and oversight approach
• Technical feasibility considerations
• Proposed phased rollout
• Open questions and risks are explicitly identified
• Stakeholder review completed

### Dependencies / Assumptions
• Access to contribution data sources (e.g. GitHub, Mailing List etc.)
• Alignment with Boost governance structure
• Agreement on strategic direction around contributor incentives

### Definition of Done
• Strategy document completed and circulated
• Stakeholder feedback incorporated
• Decision made on implementation direction (proceed / refine / defer)