Archives

Why Archive Contributions?

Cha-Ching permanently archives all governance contributions to ensure transparency, accountability, and historical record-keeping. Archival serves several important purposes:

• Permanent Record: Creates an immutable record of governance participation
• Transparency: Anyone can verify contributions and rewards distribution
• Accountability: Maintains proof of work completed by contributors
• Historical Reference: Preserves governance decisions and discussions for future reference
• Data Integrity: Protects against data loss or manipulation
• Dispute Resolution: Provides evidence for resolving any questions about contributions

What Gets Archived?

The archival system captures comprehensive data about your contributions:

Pull Requests (PRs)

• PR title, description, and metadata
• Code changes and diffs
• Review comments and discussions
• Approval and merge status
• Timestamps for all activities

Issues

• Issue title and description
• Labels, assignees, and milestones
• Comment threads and discussions
• Status changes and resolution
• Links to related PRs and commits

Reviews

• Review comments and suggestions
• Approval or change request status
• Code-specific feedback
• Review submission timestamps

Epoch Data

• Epoch configuration and parameters
• Contributor rankings and points
• Reward allocations and distributions
• Timeline and status changes

Archive Process

The archival process happens automatically in the background, progressing through several stages:

Tracking Archive Progress

You can monitor the archival process through several channels:

Notifications

Receive notifications at each stage of the archive process. Visit your Notifications page and filter by "Archives" to see all archive-related updates.

Epoch Pages

Epoch detail pages show the archive status for that specific epoch's contributions. Look for archive indicators and status badges.

Real-time Updates

Archive progress notifications appear in real-time as the archival process proceeds. You don't need to refresh - updates appear automatically.

Accessing Archived Data

Once archived, your contribution data is permanently accessible:

• Verification Links: Each archived contribution includes a link to verify its content
• Decentralized Storage: Archives are stored on decentralized networks for maximum permanence
• On-chain References: Archive hashes and metadata are recorded on the blockchain
• Public Accessibility: Anyone can verify archived contributions for transparency
• Download Options: You can download archived data for your own records

Data Permanence

Archived contributions are designed to be permanent and tamper-proof through several mechanisms:

Decentralized Storage

Archives are stored on decentralized storage networks (like IPFS or Arweave) that ensure data remains available even if any single server goes offline.

Cryptographic Verification

Each archive includes cryptographic hashes that allow anyone to verify the data hasn't been tampered with since archival.

Blockchain Anchoring

Archive hashes and key metadata are recorded on the blockchain, creating an immutable reference that proves when and what was archived.

Redundancy

Multiple copies of archives are distributed across different storage providers to prevent data loss.

Archive Notifications

You'll receive notifications throughout the archive lifecycle:

• Archive Started: When archival begins for your contributions
• Progress Updates: As the process moves through fetching, compressing, and uploading
• Completion: When your contributions are successfully archived
• Errors: If any issues occur during the archival process
• Retry Attempts: When the system automatically attempts to resolve archival errors

Why Decentralized Storage?

Cha-Ching uses decentralized storage solutions because they offer unique advantages for governance archives:

• No Single Point of Failure: Data isn't dependent on any one company or server
• Censorship Resistance: Archived data cannot be removed or altered by any party
• Permanent Availability: Once stored, data remains accessible indefinitely
• Cost Efficiency: Distributed storage is often more cost-effective than traditional hosting
• Trustless Verification: Anyone can verify data integrity without trusting a central authority

Privacy Considerations

Important points about archived data and privacy:

• Public Data Only: Only publicly available GitHub contributions are archived
• No Private Repos: Private repository data is never archived unless made public
• Existing Permissions: Archives respect GitHub's existing privacy settings
• Transparency by Design: Governance participation is intentionally transparent
• Deletion Requests: Contact governance administrators if you have concerns about archived data

Benefits of Archival

For contributors, the archival system provides several benefits:

• Proof of Work: Permanent record of your contributions for portfolio or resume purposes
• Reward Verification: Transparent evidence of why you earned specific rewards
• Historical Context: Ability to reference past work and decisions
• Dispute Resolution: Clear evidence for resolving any disagreements about contributions
• Reputation Building: Verifiable track record of governance participation
• Data Ownership: Your contribution data remains accessible to you forever

Archive Troubleshooting

Archive Failed

If an archive operation fails:

• The system automatically retries the operation
• You'll receive notifications about retry attempts
• Most failures are temporary and resolve automatically
• If all retries fail, contact support with the epoch/contribution details

Cannot Access Archived Data

• Check that the archive process has completed for that contribution
• Verify your internet connection to decentralized storage networks
• Try alternative access methods (direct IPFS gateways, etc.)
• Contact support if data appears permanently inaccessible