So let's talk codes of conduct.
Now, everyone who wants to argue that we should never have a code of conduct can go get in the bin right now. Have you done that? Good.
FreeBSD's original code of conduct was a knee-jerk reaction to a bad situation from a bunch of people who weren't fully aware of how these things should work.
As a first attempt it was better than some, worse than most and at least wasn't an actively hostile one like LambdaConf's or a ridiculously childish one like certain Codes of Conflict I could name.
However it was lacking in one key point, which gets its own tweet next so you can all retweet that one if you want.
The most important part of a code of conduct is that it places the onus on you doing your best not to offend rather than placing the onus on you not getting offended.
If there's any suggestion that it's even partly the other way around then you've got a problem.
Power dynamics being what they are, an expectation that it's your job not to get offended means you're just entrenching the existing power structure and the potential for abuse it represents.
It's also critically important that your code acknowledges that harassment and abuse are subjective. This is why you take every single report seriously. If you don't, you risk allowing your biases to blind you to abuse that you may not see because it doesn't impact you.
This then extends to the fact that, harassment being subjective, unwanted online interactions can be harassment. It also means we work on a report-based system, not by banning things per se. If you actually read the list it's examples of harassment, not things that are banned.
This may not be immediately intuitive but spend a minute or two on it and it makes sense. Even the thing about unwanted simulated physical contact without consent. Because it happens.
Which is where we get to @BryanLunduke.
One could, if one tried, read the new FreeBSD code of conduct as "banning virtual hugs". @BryanLunduke sure as hell did. Or at least someone did it for him.
Now I don't know @BryanLunduke from a bar of soap but he sent some questions to FreeBSD core about the new code which I answered.
He then weasel-words his way to implying I stand by his interpretation.
Here's what I actually said, part 1: All the examples given in the CoC are designed to provide examples of unacceptable behaviour and aren’t necessarily related to specific incidents. If we had details on specific incidents that weren’t already public we wouldn’t share them.
Here's what I actually said, part 2: Offensive and abusive behaviour is often subjective and as such we’d investigate and respond to reports of behaviour that has made people feel unwelcome or threatened as they arise and as needed. Does this help?
Now I'm obviously not desperate to get the lulz but, well, I don't think I agreed with your interpretation at all, @BryanLunduke.
I mean hell, @BryanLunduke, you're on the openSUSE board. Here's your conference code of conduct: en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Confe… That bit where it lists "inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention" as harassment? That’s the implicit version of what we have.
I'll also note, @BryanLunduke, that openSUSE doesn't have a project code of conduct. Why is that?
And then there’s @BryanLunduke’s implication that this delayed our response to Meltdown/Spectre. Go look at the list of names involved in the new Code of Conduct and the names of the people who handled the Meltdown/Spectre response. Then pull your head out of your ass.
Anyway @BryanLunduke if you want some good material how about doing one on a person so desperate for a joke he twists what should be a good thing into ill-informed, childish mockery for lack of any better ideas? Because the best comedians are ones that can laugh at themselves.
IS MY JOKE FUNNY YET?
HOW ABOUT NOW?
I’LL TRY IT AGAIN, IS IT FUNNY NOW?
HOW ABOUT THIS TIME?
I MEAN, REPETITION MAKES ANYTHING FUNNY RIGHT?
GOD I’M A COMIC GENIUS.
HOW ABOUT NOW?
I’LL TRY IT AGAIN, IS IT FUNNY NOW?
HOW ABOUT THIS TIME?
I MEAN, REPETITION MAKES ANYTHING FUNNY RIGHT?
GOD I’M A COMIC GENIUS.
MY JOKE.
IS IT FUNNY.
I SHALL REPEAT IT ONE MORE TIME.
NO REALLY IS IT FUNNY NOW?
IS IT FUNNY.
I SHALL REPEAT IT ONE MORE TIME.
NO REALLY IS IT FUNNY NOW?
…
mmmaybe... maybe my joke… isn’t funny.
Oh god. What if my joke isn’t funny.
NO! I SHALL NEVER QUIT! MY JOKE IS FUNNY. THIS TIME IT SHALL WORK.
mmmaybe... maybe my joke… isn’t funny.
Oh god. What if my joke isn’t funny.
NO! I SHALL NEVER QUIT! MY JOKE IS FUNNY. THIS TIME IT SHALL WORK.
Tune in for the exciting story of the code of conduct that didn’t actually say what a bunch of people desperately wanted it to say!
