ADR-0003: Contributor Visibility Settings

Status: Accepted

Date: 2026-01-05

Context: When contributors submit tributes, should they be able to see what others have written? This affects the contributor experience, the authenticity of submissions, and the "surprise" factor for certain use cases (e.g., surprise birthday books).

Decision Drivers:

• Some admins want the book to be a surprise (contributors shouldn't see others' work)
• Some admins want contributors to be inspired by each other
• Different use cases have different needs
• The admin is paying and should control the experience

Decision

Contributor visibility is an admin-controlled setting per book. The admin decides whether contributors can see other submissions or not.

Default: Contributors cannot see other submissions (preserves surprise, encourages original thought).

Rationale

Sheri's position: "I want it to be the admin's decision to make those kind of decisions, right? They own that thing now."

Different occasions call for different approaches:

• Surprise birthday: Contributors shouldn't see each other's work
• Memorial/funeral: Shared visibility might help people process grief together
• Retirement party: Could go either way

Rather than guess, let the admin decide based on their specific situation.

Considered Options

Option 1: Always Visible

Contributors can always see what others wrote.

Pros:

• Community feeling
• Inspiration from others
• Less duplicate stories

Cons:

• Ruins surprise element
• Groupthink (everyone writes similar things)
• Early contributors set the tone

Option 2: Never Visible

Contributors never see other submissions.

Pros:

• Preserves surprise
• Authentic individual voices
• No influence from others

Cons:

• Potential duplicate stories
• No community feeling
• Contributors feel isolated

Option 3: Admin-Controlled (Selected)

Admin chooses visibility setting per book.

Pros:

• Flexibility for all use cases
• Admin controls the experience they want
• Simple toggle in settings

Cons:

• One more decision for admin
• Mitigation: Smart default (hidden) with clear explanation

Consequences

Positive

• Supports all use case types
• Admin empowerment
• Surprise books remain possible

Negative

• Slightly more complex book setup
• Mitigation: Default to hidden, single toggle to change

Neutral

• Contributors may ask "can I see what others wrote?" — admin can explain their choice

Implementation

Phase 1 (MVP):

• Default: Contributors cannot see other submissions
• Admin can view all submissions

Phase 2:

• Toggle in book settings: "Allow contributors to see other submissions"
• Optional: Show after approval only

Database Model:

Book {
  ...
  contributor_visibility: enum('hidden', 'visible_after_approval', 'always_visible')
  default: 'hidden'
}

Files Affected:

• Book settings/configuration
• Contributor view component
• Book creation flow

Related Decisions

• ADR-0002: Editorial Control Model

References

• 20260105-napkin-session.md - Visibility discussion

Author: Bert Carroll Reviewers: Sheri Dudley Last Updated: 2026-01-05