Re: Code of Conduct: Is it time?

On Sun, Jan 10, 2016 at 5:09 PM, Adrian Klaver <adrian(dot)klaver(at)aklaver(dot)com>
wrote:

> On 01/10/2016 02:05 PM, Regina Obe wrote:
>
>> Gavin,
>>
>>> I once went out of my way to help someone with Mac. They were so Mac
>>>
>> centric they did not realize that they were not giving us the right
>> information to help them, but this was not obvious until later in the
>> thread. I made some comment about Linux - next moment they were accusing
>>
>>> everyone of not helping them properly because they were using a Mac, as
>>>
>> though we had been deliberately discriminating against them!
>>
>> I hear ya. I do the same thing setting up a Linux VM to try to help
>> someone
>> on Ubuntu or CentOS.
>> My main point was if you don't have anything helpful to say, don't say
>> anything at all.
>>
>> I recall someone posting something earlier about on the lists we should
>> have
>> a section like:
>>
>> HELP US HELP YOU
>>
>> That details the information anyone having a problem should provide to
>> make
>> it easy for others to help them.
>> Can't find that item on mailing list.
>>
>
> https://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Guide_to_reporting_problems

Maybe I'm out of sync with everyone else, but, I think of list- and IRC
guidelines as distinctly separate from a code of conduct. I see a code of
conduct as a legal document that allows the community to protect itself
(and individuals its individuals) from illegal and possibly predatory
behavior. Guidelines for posting: "don't top post, don't paste 500 lines
in to IRC etc... " are things that could get the community to *ignore* you,
but not necessarily cause them to participate in a legal showdown directly
or as a 'third-party'.

ISTM that if we develop a code of conduct, it would need to be designed
to insulate the community and individuals within it from becoming targets
of legal action. "Mike said I was bad at postgres, it hurt my consulting
and I want to sue Joe for replying-all and upping the hit-count on
google... "

--Scott

>
>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Regina
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
> Adrian Klaver
> adrian(dot)klaver(at)aklaver(dot)com
>
>
>
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