Thread by @kajaswords

Mini-rant time: this is the best example I've seen in ages of how not to write/present a code of conduct.

It's posted in the community centre gym I work out at, as well as next to the front desk.

Let's break down why it's terrible...

1) vague, meaningless platitudes masquerading as rules of conduct

Setting aside that the language is weirdly infantilizing, how do I look at someone's behaviour and assess whether they're "expecting the best"? What, exactly, constitutes being "responsible" or "respectful"?

There's no behaviour identified in the majority of the rules listed here. Nothing that people are expected to do or not do, but just general ways of being that sound nice, I guess.

2) the only behaviour identified isn't defined in any way, and the suggested action is unclear and possibly unfeasible

What constitutes "abuse"? That's a really broad term to have no examples or definitions attached. Are we talking verbal harassment? Violence? Who knows!

And who's supposed to say "no"? The target? Bystanders/witnesses? The perpetrator, who's gonna read this sign and have a change of heart?

What happens if saying "no" doesn't fix things?

3) no consequences outlined for breaking the rules

What happens if someone won't "play fair and share"? Do they get kicked out? Banned? Arrested? A disapproving look and a finger wag? Are they just supposed to feel bad for not living up to the ideals of the community centre?

4) no reporting mechanism

What are you supposed to do if you have a problem? Scream at the top of your lungs until someone comes? Find a random staff member (what if the perpetrator is a staff member)? Call a number? Fill out a form?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

There's not even a generic "see our website for more details".

I checked anyway, and couldn't find a code of conduct on their website or the broader parks board website.

Far as I can tell in ~10 mins of looking, this poster is their full entire documentation for this policy.

And this isn't some tiny business with no resources. This is the parks and recreation arm of a city with over 1 million inhabitants (and thus, facility users) and a full-time staff of dozens, if not hundreds.

There's no excuse for this.

Honestly, if you're gonna put this little effort and accountability into your policy, you might as well not bother and save the paper you printed it on.

If you do give a fuck and want to do a better job for your own organization, maybe this thread can serve as a starting point for what elements actually need to be included.

@threadreaderapp unroll