Editing First Time Source Code Contributor Policy (section)

== Exemptions ==
This policy is intended for new contributors who have not yet demonstrated prior experience or familiarity with the codebase.

You may be exempt from the first-time contributor policy if you meet any of the following:

* '''Public verifiable skills:''' You have a public history of software contributions (e.g. GitHub, GitLab, personal repositories). You can provide links to projects or code samples that demonstrate moderate to advanced programming skills.
** '''Verification required:''' Simply claiming to be someone is not sufficient. Evidence is required to verify identity and prevent impersonation. See footnote for acceptable verification options. <ref>
Verification is not yet governed by a fixed policy and may evolve over time. However, many reasonable methods are currently acceptable, including:

* '''Social media-based:''' Posting a verification message from a known social media account (e.g. a tweet or direct message from your Twitter/X profile).
* '''Signed message:''' Sending a signed message using OpenPGP from a key known to be associated with you.
* '''Email-based verification:''' Emailing from an address associated with your past contributions (e.g. one used in your <code>git</code> commit history).
* '''Forum + git match:''' Using a forum or project account that uses the same email address as your <code>git</code> commits.
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* '''Past contributors:''' You have previously contributed to this project under your current identity.
* '''Bypass via source code:''' No verification is required if you submit a working, self-contained code contribution.