Re: Add Code of Conduct (issue 575620043 by address@hidden)

[kieren_macmillan kieren_macmillan]

Hi James (et al.),

> Goodness gracious!
> Do all those who feel so positive about CoCs not see how that paragraph 
> above is just so bloody soul destroying?

No. Please explain.

> I don't need a document written by a committee of people that I have no 
> say over (i.e. what we do in the real world) and done need to be told 
> what I can say within the LP community. I already know how to be civil, 
> whether my brand of civility is yours, is nothing I care about.

I recently accompanied a few days of auditions for a new musical. The creators
and entire artistic panel were from Newfoundland, Canada. One actor came in and,
just before singing, asked if she should “use a Newfie accent”. The rest of the
audition was a complete waste of time for her: once she had said "the 'N' word",
there was literally zero chance of her getting the gig, or ever being called
back for any work by those creators or directors.

Was the panel too sensitive? Maybe to some people’s minds. That’s beside the
point. Here’s the point: I *guarantee* that if there had been a "Code of
Conduct", posted outside the audition room, which included something like "The
word 'Newfie' is deeply offensive to the people of Newfoundland; please do not
use it here.", that actor (a) wouldn’t have said it, and (b) would consequently
have had an excellent chance at getting the gig [because, as it turns out, she
is quite talented and did a great job in the audition, modulo the 'unforgivable'
offence].

I think it’s useful, kind, and helpful to offer advice to people entering an
unknown community on how they should expect to behave and be treated in that
community. It’s their prerogative to not join the community, either because of
the content of such a document or its very existence.

> I've recently have a belly-full of being told that X is good because 
> "...everyone else is doing it" or that Y is needed because ... "...well 
> it's just 'easier' if we do it ..." without any real justification.

We lost at least 30 [!!] person-years of extremely high-level programming
assistance because of the past tone in this community — yes, I can justify that
claim with concrete data — and we’re currently in danger of losing more,
indefinitely, because a few people in the community are unwilling to collaborate
on a piece of prose which would offer that we try to be a welcoming community.

To my mind, that’s a real wasted opportunity, and sufficient justification to at
least consider a CoC — a document which, for the record, I would have fell afoul
of multiple times in the 17 [!!] years I’ve been posting.

> Apple carts unfortunately get upset once in a while. That is just life.

So if someone goes around regularly knocking over everyone’s cart —
intentionally or otherwise — and as a result drives the sellers with the best
apples to another village, there’s no benefit in trying to figure out a way to
direct the person’s energies to more constructive and less disruptive
purpose(s)? I’m sure glad the real world doesn’t work on that model.

Best regards,
Kieren.