[Development] QUIP 12: Code of Conduct

[Jason H]

Lydia,

First, let me say I've stated my support of the KDE CoC. Thank you for your effort in it.

But then you make a statement in your post script that demonstrates exactly what I'm talking about.  You stated  "some emails in this thread sadly make me see part of the project in a different light. I fear I'm not the only one."? Would you say the project has created fear in you and this has somehow "harmed" the project in some way? Who were these people that changed your mind? We need to identify these people and ban them because they are not casting the widest inclusive and protective audience and anything less than that is harm... Let the witch hunt begin... right? 

Everyone,
This is the slippery slope that I'm talking about accusations start in wide-abstractions like your statement and devolve into direct accusations.  While no one yet here has the motivation to conduct a witch hunt, we cannot assume that will be the case. So far common sense has prevailed, but common sense is, well, uncommon. It may be that Cone day oraline et. al. go on a witch hunt for those the opposed her Covenant.

I've spent some time thinking about this this weekend. Here's what I don't get. Coraline authored the CC. She then goes into projects attacking them with it, but fortunately(?) it hasn't worked. But to put it a different way, if I design an instrument, publish the plans, and try to use it in a community, if it doesn't work, is it the instrument or the user that is at fault? If that instrument is intended to be destructive (say like a bomb), then can we see how she really means for this to be used? To my knowledge none of the people singled out in the witch hunts actually did anything offensive in the projects they were participating in. 

It could be that eventually those who opposed the CoC in some way get labeled as "intolerant" by the larger community. Lydia's statement has already given me pause in this regard and I'm not being hyperbolic. Political views, and things we don't consider as political today, can eventually become political.

I think we have two camps:
We want a CoC as a feel-good statement of inclusion and tolerance (I think everyone is committed to this)
AND
1) We want to use existing situation of laws/self-policing OR
2) We want a CoC that contains a framework that can get people banned or more

I've always assumed that there was some line that could be crossed that would get your accounts shut down and removed from the community. If someone makes it so that the community cannot function, in whole or in part, then removal is warranted. These Codes of Conducts lower the barrier to an incredibly low bar and don't say what lower threshold of "harm" is needed to run afoul. I haven't even had a response as to if it is perceived or demonstrable harm that is required.

So far cooler heads and common sense have prevailed, but I don't trust that will always be the case. This is why if we go with a CoC that can prescribe punishments, that it be explicit both in determination and punishment stages.


*Not that I have anything against witches. I have several wiccan friends. Is the term "witch hunt" offensive? Can I get banned for using that term now or in the future?


> Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 7:53 PM
> From: "Lydia Pintscher" <lydia at kde.org>
> To: development at qt-project.org
> Subject: Re: [Development] QUIP 12: Code of Conduct
>
> On Sun, Oct 28, 2018 at 10:45 PM Thiago Macieira
> <thiago.macieira at intel.com> wrote:
> > And I'm pretty sure the KDE Community WG can easily compile a list of times
> > that they were maliciously asked to look into situations and how much time it
> > took them to give it the attention it was due.
> 
> I don't have an exact number but less than 10. And we could always
> deal with it very quickly thanks to some common sense and good
> knowledge of the situation and people involved. No big deal.
> 
> (For those who don't know me: I'm one of the people who wrote KDE's
> CoC and has been a member of it's community working group since then.
> I'm also the current president of the non-profit behind KDE.)
> If you have further questions about KDE's Code of Conduct please let
> me know. I'm happy to answer them.
> 
> 
> Cheers
> Lydia
> 
> PS: As someone on the fringes of the Qt Project some emails in this
> thread sadly make me see part of the project in a different light. I
> fear I'm not the only one.
> 
> -- 
> Lydia Pintscher - http://about.me/lydia.pintscher
> KDE e.V. Board of Directors
> http://kde.org - http://open-advice.org
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