Why You Should Adopt an Open-Source Code of Conduct

Technology communities almost by definition need to be open, welcoming, diverse, and inclusive to do the most good for the most amount of people. Yet without adequate checks and balances technology communities have an unfortunate track record to be anything but – especially for people on the wrong side of power dynamics such as women and minorities.

Adopting a well-developed Open-Source Code of Conduct such as the Contributor Covenant is a key tool in countering this problem. In this introductory session we will cover what Open-Source Codes of Conduct are, what they seek to accomplish, what makes a good one and why you should adopt one in your project, community, event, group or even company.

Transcript

1. Why You Should Adopt an
   Open-Source Code of Conduct
   Reza Rahman
   Jakarta EE Ambassador, Author, Blogger, Speaker
   reza_rahman@lycos.com
   @reza_rahman
   

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2. Why Do I Care?
   You are maybe qualified to work at 7-Eleven
   You can always go back to your country
   You’ve never worked with women, have you?
   It worries me someone like you is in a position of authority
   What’s that weird smell?
   You are too aggressive, calm down
   You are a liar
   You are a cheat
   You are making us look bad
   You are too smart for your own good
   You hate Jews, don’t you?
   You are obviously full of hate
   You need to earn your place around here
   Your English is pretty good You don’t understand our culture
   You are overreacting
   I didn't mean it that way How can you spin it like that?
   You are the enemy
   Don’t be so sensitive
   You don’t smile enough
   Are most Muslims terrorists?
   You can’t block me!
   You talk a lot of nonsense
   Lighten up, it was just a joke
   You think you are better than us?
   Parasite
   Where are you really from?
   You need to be more friendly You are not qualified to have an opinion
   Don’t be so dramatic
   You need to be more like a real person
   Man up!
   Who are you to criticize us?
   You are too ambitious
   Don’t take it personally
   

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3. Nope, It Isn’t Just Me...
   

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4. Why Should You Care?
   • Increasing openness
   • Diverse perspectives
   • Untapped potential
   • Expanding community
   • Broadening reach
   • Ethical imperative
   

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5. The Underlying Factors
   • Anonymity, remoteness and a sense of “alternative reality”
   • A feeling of anarchy, empowerment and impunity
   • Cliques, tribalism and exclusion
   • An entitled notion of “utopian meritocracy” and equality
   • Deliberate and subconscious stereotyping, bias, prejudice and
   microaggression
   • Ignorance of social context, inequities, isolation and
   disproportionate negative emotional impact
   

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6. Equity, Justice, Order and Codes of Conduct
   

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7. An Effective Code of Conduct
   • Clear and simple
   • Concrete principles and objectives
   • Sufficiently detailed and includes examples
   • Resources to seek clarification
   • Reporting and enforcement details
   • Prominently placed
   

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8. Exploring by Example
   https://jakartaee-ambassadors.io/code-of-conduct/
   

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9. Not Just for Open-Source Projects
   • Communities and groups
   • Conferences and events
   • Companies
   

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10. Summary
    • Codes of Conduct are very important in advancing diversity and inclusion
    • There are existing examples and best practices to leverage
    • It has much wider applicability than simply open-source projects
    

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11. Resources
    • The Contributor Covenant
    • https://www.contributor-covenant.org
    • Open-Source Guide for Codes of Conduct
    • https://opensource.guide/code-of-conduct/
    • Diversity in Open-Source Software
    • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_in_open-source_software
    

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