Hi, This has just been published on the Mozilla community blog by Emma Irwin and I thought it could interest some of you here.
https://blog.mozilla.org/community/2020/09/10/weaving-safety-into-the-fabric-of-open-source/ It brings insight into the experience of enforcing a code of conduct in an open source community. Wikilove! Nattes à chat Envoyé de mon iPhone > Le 12 sept. 2020 à 05:23, Zainan Zhou (a.k.a Victor) <[email protected]> a écrit : > > > I might be wrong, but I couldn't help noticing some disagreements of whether > we should have a Universal CoC lies in the different mindset of how conflicts > should be governed, just like legal systems of Common Laws vs Civil Laws. > > >> On Fri, Sep 11, 2020 at 9:25 AM Natacha Rault via Wikimedia-l >> <[email protected]> wrote: >> {{trigger warning : French joke included}} >> >> Dear Pete, let me explain why this is problematic. >> >> First I am sorry to say there is no hidden agenda or awful witchery plot to >> uncover including WMF influence. I have myself severely criticised the WMF >> in the course of the branding process (and was never scolded for that so I >> think we can express criticism). Maybe not all the time, maybe not just in >> any format. >> >> I made the initial comment, and no one pushed me into. If it has offended >> people, I am sorry, maybe I should in effect have reached out to Dan >> privately first. Dan I am sorry of the attention, your wording is being >> given, and I would like us to move on, as suggested by Alphos to a more >> constructive debate. >> >> Pete, because your are asking repeatedly for clarification and only because >> of that, what I have learned from my #black lives matter friends, it that s >> not my obligation to educate you on why this is problematic. In fact when >> you ask for clarifications, you are putting pressure on people who find the >> use of disrespectful language a problem instead of asking why the initial >> comment had to include flatulistic scenery (and this for French speakers has >> nothing to do with Brice de Nice’s expression « ça farte » see for reference >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhZ_kkVzx18 >> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhZ_kkVzx18>) which blurrs the actual >> meaning behind the criticisml, especially for people whose language is not >> English in the first place. Then one could argue that it is targeting people >> of an institution. Full stop. >> >> I wish to move on to why I believe spaces should be moderated, which >> basically would mean enforcing a code of conduct, that many members of our >> community have been asking for for years. >> >> « As I am a nice guy » I will give a few ressources explaining why I think >> lists, and wikimedia spaces should be moderated. Basically it is because you >> can : >> >> 1- allow free roaming speech and leaving agressive behaviours unchecked >> creating a space where only certain social groups are over represented but >> thus you can’t claim to be designing the sum of all human knowledge >> >> OR >> >> 2 - design free open source inclusive spaces that are allowing anyone to >> participate but you then have to moderate content because, people have >> different « cultures" and may not understand what offends others, there is a >> learning curve. >> >> Here is a timeline of incidents >> https://geekfeminism.wikia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_incidents#2018for >> <https://geekfeminism.wikia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_incidents#2018for> >> >> This time line of incidents is often cited by women as a reason for having >> OS code of conducts (which includes moderation of mailing lists most of the >> time) >> >> History tells us, that in the early internet days, the first experiments of >> virtual spaces encountered less harassment and more women. This is told in >> the following book : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35953464-broad-band >> <https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35953464-broad-band>, where the story >> of Stacy Horn and how she actually designed the Esat Coast Hanger (ECHO) see >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacy_Horn >> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacy_Horn> is detailed. Why? Because Stacy >> Horn moderated each chan and reached out to every member that left the >> community so that she would eventually know about abusive behaviours and >> document it. >> >> Designing a safe space does not mean you cannot address just any topic, it >> just means that you do so paying attention to how you treat potential >> readers, and contributors to create a discussion that is actually evolving >> around the subject, and not the format of it. >> >> A 2018 incident about wether or not a joke should be removed >> https://lwn.net/Articles/753646/ <https://lwn.net/Articles/753646/> >> questions wether there is a need for a safe space or not in open source >> projects. I’m taking this example, because it shows how power and privilege >> iin a community can be used to influence « keeping a joke that is upsetting >> to some ». >> >> So the question of « censorship » is central, but it usually has a pending >> side : who is silenced, whose voice is not being heard? I like the way the >> Django FAQ adresses the problem of « censorship » in a community >> >> https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/faq/ >> <https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/faq/> >> >> Quote from the above : >> This is censorship! I have the right to say whatever I want >> >> You do -- in your space. If you'd like to hang out in our spaces (as >> clarified above), we have some simple guidelines to follow. If you want to, >> for example, form a group where Django is discussed using language >> inappropriate for general channels then nobody's stopping you. We respect >> your right to establish whatever codes of conduct you want in the spaces >> that belong to you. Please honor this Code of Conduct in our spaces. >> >> >> https://web.archive.org/web/20141109123859/http://speakup.io/coc.html >> <https://web.archive.org/web/20141109123859/http://speakup.io/coc.html> >> >> Quote from the above : >> >> It's important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable >> or threatened is not a productive one >> >> >> If people do not know how to issue gracefully formulated criticism, we >> should have ressources to them to study, maybe even courses on non violent >> communication. >> >> >> So I hope I have provided {{useful}} context and I will not answer anymore >> so that we can move on to something else. >> >> Kind regards, >> >> Nattes >> >> >> >> > Le 11 sept. 2020 à 13:29, Peter Southwood <[email protected]> a >> > écrit : >> > >> > There was no clear statement of "this is the problematic text and this is >> > why it is considered unacceptable", which is a thing that I consider a >> > reasonable expectation, as it is possible to learn from it, understand it, >> > pass constructive criticism or agreement, and use as it a precedent for >> > future expectations. >> > Cheers, >> > Peter >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: Wikimedia-l [mailto:[email protected]] On >> > Behalf Of Adam Wight >> > Sent: 11 September 2020 11:56 >> > To: [email protected] >> > Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] A Universal Code of Conduct draft for review >> > >> >> Is there somewhere we can refer to the list of offensive and unacceptable >> >> expressions, and how they are determined? >> > >> > There were been several explanations already. It's possible to use mild >> > words in a cruel way, for example a father telling their child "You've >> > always had beans for brains." Editors are aware of this simple truth >> > and any feigned outrage must be disingenuous. >> > >> > It's interesting that I've voiced some extremely harsh criticism of the >> > WMF, even suggesting that the editors form a union and sue for control >> > of the Board, yet I've never once been moderated. Had my job threatened >> > perhaps, but never blocked. >> > >> > The point here is that petty hostility only achieves the goal of >> > creating an unpleasant and unwelcoming environment. If you (speaking to >> > the people here who are critical of the UCoC) want to make real change, >> > please organize yourselves somewhere else, come up with a coherent >> > argument, and present it here. The constant attrition of "why can't I >> > say 'fart'?" is tiresome and dilutes any conversation of substance. >> > >> > Kind regards, >> > U:Adamw >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: >> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> > New messages to: [email protected] >> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> >> > >> > >> > -- >> > This email has been checked for viruses by AVG. >> > https://www.avg.com >> > >> > >> > _______________________________________________ >> > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: >> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> > New messages to: [email protected] >> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l >> New messages to: [email protected] >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
