Re: Code of Conduct: Is it time?

On 1/6/16 9:48 AM, Melvin Davidson wrote:
> there is no way it can be enforced. So while I applaud Joshua Drake for
> his good intent, I there must therefore take the position of saying no
> to a CoC

A good CoC is not just a code, it is also a means of enforcement. To
wit, from the CouchDB CoC[1]:

"If you believe someone is violating this code of conduct, you may reply
to them and point out this code of conduct. Such messages may be in
public or in private, whatever is most appropriate. Assume good faith;
it is more likely that participants are unaware of their bad behaviour
than that they intentionally try to degrade the quality of the
discussion. Should there be difficulties in dealing with the situation,
you may report your compliance issues in confidence to
private(at)couchdb(dot)apache(dot)org(dot)

"If the violation is in documentation or code, for example inappropriate
pronoun usage or word choice within official documentation, we ask that
people report these privately to the project at
private(at)couchdb(dot)apache(dot)org, and, if they have sufficient ability within
the project, to resolve or remove the concerning material, being mindful
of the perspective of the person originally reporting the issue."

Importantly, the code clearly states what is and isn't acceptable, in a
calm and rational manner, so that when an incident does occur -core or
whoever else can deal with it much more easily. Vague statements like
"don't be an ass" are useless for dealing with an actual situation.

(BTW, if your concern on enforcement is about control, not only can
people be removed from mailing lists and the like, but there actually is
a Postgres legal entity that could start legal proceedings if it ever
came to it.)

[1] http://couchdb.apache.org/conduct.html
--
Jim Nasby, Data Architect, Blue Treble Consulting, Austin TX
Experts in Analytics, Data Architecture and PostgreSQL
Data in Trouble? Get it in Treble! http://BlueTreble.com