On having it start with a dot: Why? Why would we pretend that these crucial files don't exist?
On having it named meta: These files aren't "about" the project or "above" the project, they ARE the project.
If I'm writing an editor, I expect the config directory in the source code to hold the configuration for the editor, not .babelrc
meta is a much better name and they are "about" the project, not the project itself, so I disagree on that point. Though I agree it should not be hidden. I will start having a "meta" directory in my projects
Other things that would land in the folder:
- Files essential to building the project - Files essential to running the test suite - Files essential to developing on the project
IMO a "project" includes all those things. In your definition are those all "meta"? Does "meta" mean anything that's not source code?