NOTICE — In accordance with registry bylaw 7(b), the Bureau of Certified Scumbaggery hereby publishes the schedule for the 2026 second-quarter recalibration of the SCUMBAG INDEX. The recalibration window opens 1 May 2026 at 00:00 UTC and closes 7 May 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
Scope of the Recalibration
All approved editorial and self-submitted entries on file as of 30 April 2026 are subject to recalibration. Entries added during the open window are excluded from this cycle and processed in the third quarter.
Recalibration affects the composite score, the per-component scores, and the world rank of every affected entry. Certificate IDs are unchanged. Tier assignments may change where the recomputed score crosses the threshold to the adjacent tier.
Methodology Changes (v1.0 → v1.1)
The recalibration includes a single methodology adjustment, published here for the avoidance of doubt:
- The Innovation component, previously a binary multiplier (1.0 for first documented practitioner, 0.6 otherwise), is replaced with a five-tier scale: 1.0 (founding practitioner), 0.85 (early adopter, within five years), 0.70 (mid-period adopter), 0.55 (late adopter), 0.40 (post-canonical imitator). The change responds to twenty-three Form CS-DISPUTE filings noting that binary innovation scoring was insufficiently expressive.
The four other components (Documentation, Impact, Duration, Peer Recognition) and their weights are unchanged.
Affected Entries
The Bureau projects 14 entries to change rank by one position, 4 entries to change by two positions, and 1 entry to change by three positions. No entry is projected to cross a tier boundary in this cycle.
Audit Trail
Every recomputed score is written to the index_scores table with version v1.1. The previous v1.0 rows are preserved. Visitors may inspect the per-component breakdown for any entry via the score-breakdown panel on the entry's profile page.
Disputes
Disputes regarding the recalibration must be filed via Form CS-DISPUTE within thirty days of publication. The Bureau accepts disputes only on factual grounds (an input is incorrect, a citation is broken) — not on disagreement with the methodology itself.
Effective Date
The recalibrated scores take effect at 00:00 UTC on 8 May 2026 and are immediately reflected on the public surfaces of the registry.
FAQ
Will my certificate become invalid?
No. Certificate IDs are immutable and are not affected by recalibration. Only world rank, category rank, tier, and composite score may change.
Can I appeal a rank change?
Rank changes are mechanical consequences of input changes and methodology updates. To appeal, file a Form CS-DISPUTE against the underlying input or against the methodology change itself. The Bureau does not accept appeals against the rank computation directly.
Why was the Innovation scale revised?
Because twenty-three Form CS-DISPUTE filings argued, persuasively, that a binary innovation flag failed to distinguish founding practitioners from early adopters. The revision restores resolution at the high end of the scale.
When is the next recalibration?
1 August 2026, per the standard quarterly cadence.
Where can I read the full methodology?
The full methodology is published at /methodology. The dispute form lives at /disputes.