[CREATE] Code of Conduct

[Michael Natterer]

On Tue, 2014-01-14 at 20:11 -0800, Dave Crossland wrote:
> On 14 Jan 2014 15:39, "Michael Natterer" <mitch at gimp.org> wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, 2014-01-14 at 14:15 -0500, Louis Desjardins wrote:
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > I am asked by PSF if we have a Code of Conduct?
> > >
> > > I am sure that at some point in time that question was raised among us
> but
> > > I can’t recall if we reached a consensus and if so where would that
> text be?
> > >
> > > PSF could consider funding us but we’d need a published Code of Conduct.
> >
> > If they want to impose their rules in order to fund, then I'd suggest
> > not to take their money.
> >
> > About a code of conduct, what about
> >
> > "use your brain, failure to do so will get you kicked out after one
> > warning, or immediately for serious misbehavior"
> >
> > If that's not enough we're pretty much doomed.
> 
> I suggest we ask the people who are minorities at the event if it or any
> other proposal is enough. You and I, as the white male majority, can't tell.
> 
> For dudes claiming this is unneccessary, do you know what it's like to have
> a public profile online, like you and I do, but as a female?
> 
> " In 2006, researchers from the University of Maryland set up a bunch of
> fake online accounts and then dispatched them into chat rooms. Accounts
> with feminine usernames incurred an average of 100 sexually explicit or
> threatening messages a day. Masculine names received 3.7."
> 
> http://www.psmag.com/navigation/health-and-behavior/women-arent-welcome-internet-72170/

I am aware that sadly all of that is very true, and there is
little doubt that larger conferences need a CoC.

What I'm uncomfortable with is the idea of "we have to get
a CoC in order to get funding", because that should really
not be the motivation for having one. Also, I think that
LGM doesn't actually need a CoC, it has the atmosphere of
a family meeting, not of a major event that involves a
degree of anonymity.

That said, I am not opposed to a CoC. All I'm saying is that
I feel very comfortable to be at an event where nothing
weird ever happened and where I'm not afraid that anything
will happen; therefore the idea of getting a CoC feels a bit
like trying to preemtively avoid criticism from whatever
fraction of political correctness.

just my 2 ct.

Regards,
--Mitch