----- "Wouter Verhelst" <wou...@debian.org> wrote: > # Debian Code of Conduct ... > ## In case of problems > > Serious or persistent offenders will be temporarily or permanently > banned from communicating through Debian's systems. Complaints should > be made (in private) to the administrators of the Debian communication > forum in question. To find contact information for these administrators, > please see [the page on Debian's organizational > structure](http://www.debian.org/intro/organization)
It seems to me that with the Code of Conduct (afterwords CoC) that we are institutionalizing a penal system in Debian. With that in mind, I think we should follow some of the best practices typical of these processes in other organizations. I also think some aspects of the CoC relate to obligations we have taken on in the Social Contract. It is well understood that secret laws and secret courts are not a desirable feature for any government. I feel that the same should hold true for our community. The procedures leading up to a ban, the evidence collected, the criteria the evidence must meet and the persons making the final decision should all be public record. I reference the Social Contract mandate to "not hide problems" in support of this concept. Please do not interpret this suggestion as an attack on the character of the listmasters or any other project member who donates their valuable personal time to make things happen. That is not the intent. I have the highest level of respect for everyone who contributes to the project and they have my heartfelt thanks for the operating system I use every day. I feel we must see clearly that the CoC and its related ban punishment effectively amounts to a nascent "court system" for the project. Bans have been treated as an embarrassing thing that we want to keep out of the public eye but they constitute a very serious punishment. A comprehensive ban is effectively a "death sentence" for its target because, from the perspective of the project, that person will cease to exist. This may seem strong language but some members of the project feel a great deal of passion for the effort and would regard an eviction as catastrophic. I hope many of you will agree that while the CoC may be a necessary feature for our community it should be governed in a transparent, policy-driven and unbiased manner with detailed record keeping and peer review. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-project-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org Archive: http://lists.debian.org/24545501.20871392227105291.javamail.r...@newmail.brainfood.com
