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Contributing to watching_u_watching

Thanks for your interest in contributing to watching_u_watching! We're building a critical open-source tool to bring transparency and accountability to automated decision-making processes. Whether you're a seasoned developer, an AI ethicist, a legal expert, a researcher, or just someone passionate about social justice and open source, your contributions are invaluable.

Our Mission & Current Focus

Our core mission is to create a methodological mirror for institutions, exposing systemic biases through automated, scalable paired testing. We aim to flip the cost dynamics of auditing, making true accountability accessible.

Our current primary focus is the NYC Local Law 144 Pilot. This initiative aims to build out the capabilities of watching_u_watching to specifically audit Automated Employment Decision Tools (AEDTs) as mandated by NYC's groundbreaking legislation. This is where we're driving immediate efforts and need the most help.

Ways to Contribute

You don't need to be a coding wizard to contribute! We welcome a diverse range of skills:

1. Code Contributions (Primary Need for NYC LL144 Pilot)

We're building out the core functionality. This involves:

  • Probe Generation: Developing modules to create synthetic test inputs (e.g., job applications, resumes) with systematically varied demographic indicators.
  • Interaction Engines: Building mechanisms to programmatically submit probes to digital interfaces (e.g., Applicant Tracking Systems, online forms, email).
  • Data Collection & Parsing: Creating tools to retrieve and interpret responses from audited systems.
  • Analysis & Reporting: Developing modules for statistical bias detection and LL144-compliant reporting.

How to Start Coding:

  • Check our Issues: Look for issues labeled help wanted or, especially, good first issue. These are typically smaller, well-defined tasks perfect for getting started. Our NYC LL144 Pilot Issue is a great place to see our immediate development roadmap.
  • Fork the Repository: Create your own fork of watching_u_watching.
  • Clone Your Fork: git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/watching_u_watching.git
  • Create a New Branch: git checkout -b your-feature-branch-name
  • Make Your Changes: Write your code, add tests, and update documentation as needed.
  • Test Your Changes: Ensure your code works as expected and doesn't introduce new bugs.
  • Submit a Pull Request (PR): Push your branch to your fork and open a PR against our main branch. Provide a clear description of your changes.

2. Research & Documentation

Critical at this early stage!

  • NYC LL144 Expertise: Researching specific requirements, definitions, and legal nuances of LL144.
  • ATS & HR Tech Analysis: Investigating common Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and HR platforms used by NYC employers to understand their application flows and technical interfaces.
  • Demographic Data Curation: Helping curate validated lists of names and other indicators for synthetic probe generation, ensuring ethical and accurate representation of protected classes in the US context.
  • Methodology Review: Providing feedback on the statistical methods for bias detection.
  • Documentation: Improving our README.md, writing clearer explanations for modules, or creating how-to guides.

How to Contribute Research & Docs:

  • Look for issues labeled research or documentation.
  • Open a new issue with your research findings or proposed documentation improvements.
  • For larger contributions, you can submit a PR with new .md files or updates.

3. Ethical & Legal Guidance

Ensuring watching_u_watching operates ethically and effectively within legal frameworks is paramount.

  • Reviewing Ethical Guidelines: Providing input on our ethical considerations to ensure robust safeguards.
  • Legal Compliance: Advising on LL144's specific requirements and potential legal challenges.
  • Privacy Best Practices: Ensuring our methodology adheres to data privacy standards (e.g., GDPR principles for the German pilot, general US privacy laws for NYC).

How to Contribute Ethical/Legal Guidance:

  • Open an issue to propose a discussion or provide specific advice.
  • Join our communication channels for detailed discussions.

4. Community & Outreach

Help us grow and spread the word!

  • Social Media: Share our project updates on platforms like Twitter/X, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Mastodon.
  • Content Creation: Write blog posts, articles, or create videos explaining watching_u_watching's mission and impact.
  • Community Building: Help foster a welcoming and collaborative environment in our communication channels.

How to Contribute to Community/Outreach:

  • Reach out to us in discussions or by opening an issue if you have ideas or want to help.

Development Process

  • Branches: We use a main branch for stable code and feature branches for new development.
  • Pull Requests (PRs): All contributions should be made via PRs. Please ensure your PRs are descriptive and link to relevant issues.
  • Code Style: We aim for PEP 8 compliance for Python code. Consider using linters like flake8 or black to automatically format your code.
  • Testing: Please include unit tests for new functionality. We are working towards a robust testing framework to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Communication & Getting Help

  • GitHub Issues: The primary place for bug reports, feature requests, and tracking tasks.
  • GitHub Discussions: For broader questions, brainstorming, and community conversations.
  • Real-time Chat (Optional): Join us on [Discord/Gitter link here if you set one up] for quick questions and more informal chats.

Code of Conduct

Please review our Code of Conduct. We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all contributors.

Thank you for considering contributing to watching_u_watching. We're excited to build this powerful tool with your help!