I just finished translating a proposal from a certain DAO, which outwardly talks about "optimizing incentives," but between the lines, it's really about shifting power: who gets subsidies, who can get on the whitelist, who’s more likely to have their votes counted as "valid." During airdrop season, this becomes even more obvious. Task platforms are cracking down more and more on anti-witchcraft measures, and the point system is forcing the grifters to act like clocking in at work... Then the proposal conveniently redefines the "contribution" authority, essentially using rules to filter people.

Am I overthinking this?
Maybe. But I prefer to see each incentive clause as a lock cylinder.

Anyway, I don’t really trust slogans when it comes to voting now. I focus on authorization, delegation, and fund flows—whether they can be revoked, who can change them; it’s a bit more troublesome than backing up mnemonic phrases, but at least I won’t wake up one day to find I’ve been "governed."