Well, it is generally considered that Free Software projects are a
meritocracy [1], meaning that "an elite group of people whose progress
is based on ability and talent rather than on class privilege or
wealth" [2]. Ideally, whenever a project is ruled by pure meritocracy,
people would occupy a position in it according to their capacities,
work, effort and results, instead of being randomly positioned.
As nice as this idea might be, there's a big part of it that it's just
part of a myth [3]: "If you have the right background, and contribute
in the right area in the right way,
FOSS actually can act as a meritocracy, and frequently does".
Meritocracy in Free Software is a myth in the same sense as fairness
and equality in occidental societies, or objectivity in science.