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100% true. And, honestly, one of the secrets to @nodejs.org's longevity is that we exactly built resilience to this into the governance. No single company can represent more than 1/3 of the TSC for instance. It's never perfect but with effort companies can participate rather than dominate.

Bruno Pedro@brunopedro.com

Some companies openly hire people to "foster influence across open-source, enterprise, and partner communities." Or some other companies openly look for people who "hold positions of influence in open-source projects and organizations." notes.brunopedro.com/2026/09/18/2...

notes.brunopedro.com- Bruno PedroPeople can game open-source governance

18/9/26, 12:50 pm6 reposts14 likes

snek

@snek.dev

18 Sept

I think one of the most important points to remember is that it's not a game. if someone acts in bad faith while still technically following the letter of the law it's healthier for a community to just get rid of them.

James Snell

@jasnell.me

18 Sept

Yes, but even "bad faith" can be gamed. I've been accused of bad faith simply by landing a feature someone didn't agree with but I thought was needed. It's important to have and foster moderators and multiple perspectives to keep things balanced. Takes constant effort and trust.