Opensource.guide: [RFC] Troubleshooting > Enforcing Your Code of Conduct

[nayafia]

Hey open source maintainers! We would love your feedback on the Troubleshooting > Enforcing Your Code of Conduct article. We will leave this open for comments until Sep 1, 2016.

Does anything seem inconsistent with your experience? What is missing? Are there any other helpful resources on this topic?

Feel free to comment and discuss here, or even open a pull request to suggest changes.

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[MikeMcQuaid]

No comments, just 👍

[benbalter]

/cc @github/community-and-safety who may have suggestions on how maintainers can best enforce their code of conduct (and how GitHub Support may be able to help).

[dmleong]

Try to gather perspectives from other community members about this person and their behavior.

I would add in something along the lines of not making the reporter talk to the harasser. This is a common way to Screw Things Up(tm) - a person who is reporting a violation is likely doing it at great risk to themselves and their career. Forcing a confrontation will likely put them in a compromising position that won't end well for them.

[jessfraz]

Awesome so glad this includes making sure people know who the email goes to and giving alternate addresses or contacts as well. That's super important.

I think it's also important to note that the Code of Conduct should also clearly define the scope which it covers. Does this only apply to "complaints that happened in the setting of the project" or can it apply to "unacceptable behavior occurring outside the scope of community activities when such behavior has the potential to adversely affect the safety and well-being of community members."

Not all violations are as clear as the game of clue: mr green in the kitchen with the knife per say. Sometimes the problem is one bad seed continually behaving in the wrong _outside_ just commenting on the project or opening pull requests.

[jessfraz]

Also wrt sponsors or people who fund the project. Does this apply to them as well, things like that tend to actually be the problems people find where they do not know how to proceed.

[CoralineAda]

I have addressed this issue in the Contributor Covenant by a) specifying that the CoC applies when an individual is representing a project in public and b) giving discretion to maintainers to take whatever actions they deem acceptable to keep the project space safe and harassment-free.

I think it's also important to note that the Code of Conduct should also clearly define the scope which it covers. Does this only apply to "complaints that happened in the setting of the project" or can it apply to "unacceptable behavior occurring outside the scope of community activities when such behavior has the potential to adversely affect the safety and well-being of community members."

Not all violations are as clear as the game of clue: mr green in the kitchen with the knife per say. Sometimes the problem is one bad seed continually behaving in the wrong outside just commenting on the project or opening pull requests.

[gr2m]

Ideally, you’ve explained how your code of conduct will be enforced before a violation occurs. There are several reasons for this:

I’d suggest to make this sound less like it would be optional. I’m convinced that your Code of Conduct is worthless or even dangerous if

1. they maintainers don’t clearly state how it will be enforced an
2. are ready to enforce it

[nayafia]

Closed per #96.