mirror of
https://github.com/moparisthebest/xeps
synced 2024-12-23 16:18:51 -05:00
249 lines
14 KiB
XML
249 lines
14 KiB
XML
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
|
|
<!DOCTYPE xep SYSTEM 'xep.dtd' [
|
|
<!ENTITY % ents SYSTEM 'xep.ent'>
|
|
%ents;
|
|
]>
|
|
<?xml-stylesheet type='text/xsl' href='xep.xsl'?>
|
|
<xep>
|
|
<header>
|
|
<title>Community Code of Conduct</title>
|
|
<abstract>
|
|
This document describes the XMPP Standard Foundation's Code of Conduct
|
|
</abstract>
|
|
&LEGALNOTICE;
|
|
<number>0458</number>
|
|
<status>Experimental</status>
|
|
<type>Procedural</type>
|
|
<sig>None</sig>
|
|
<approver>Board</approver>
|
|
<dependencies/>
|
|
<supersedes/>
|
|
<supersededby/>
|
|
<shortname>N/A</shortname>
|
|
&dcridland;
|
|
<revision>
|
|
<version>0.2.0</version>
|
|
<date>2021-06-29</date>
|
|
<initials>dwd</initials>
|
|
<remark>Integrate various comments from various sources</remark>
|
|
</revision>
|
|
<revision>
|
|
<version>0.1.0</version>
|
|
<date>2021-06-10</date>
|
|
<initials>XEP Editor (jsc)</initials>
|
|
<remark>Accept as Experimental after unanimous approval by Board of the ProtoXEP draft for discussion within the community.</remark>
|
|
</revision>
|
|
<revision>
|
|
<version>0.0.1</version>
|
|
<date>2021-06-01</date>
|
|
<initials>dwd</initials>
|
|
<remark>And so it began.</remark>
|
|
</revision>
|
|
</header>
|
|
<section1 topic='Introduction' anchor='intro'>
|
|
<p>The XMPP Standards Foundation provides a number of venues, both physical and virtual, for discussion
|
|
and community activity. These include mailing lists, chatrooms, Summits, and so on. It also
|
|
produces much output designed for the general public, such as the XEPs themselves, the website,
|
|
and kiosks or stands at actual events. Collectively, these are the XMPP Standards Foundation
|
|
Activities.</p>
|
|
<p>The Members of the Foundation, and the wider community of participants in the XSF Activities, are
|
|
diverse in viewpoints and goals. We see this as a benefit - we wish the maximize the
|
|
applicability and quality of our protocols, and therefore we wish to maximize the pool of
|
|
potential participants who might offer their unique viewpoints and help us reach new goals.</p>
|
|
<p>It makes sense that there is a Code of Conduct that applies to the behaviour we expect both of
|
|
ourselves and any other community members when participating in discussions or producing that
|
|
public output.</p>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='The Code of Conduct' anchor='conduct'>
|
|
<section2 topic="Welcome">
|
|
<p>You are welcome. Ensure that you are also welcoming. We want
|
|
everyone to feel welcome no matter what the colour of their skin, where they live,
|
|
or where their ancestors came from. We want to welcome people from all
|
|
cultures, and religions, and of all sizes and shapes. We want people to be welcome no
|
|
matter their sexual identity or orientation. We want you to feel welcome no matter your
|
|
level of experience or ability. And we want you to help us make everyone else feel
|
|
welcomed, too.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Assume Good Faith">
|
|
<p>We are a diverse community, working often to multiple goals. We
|
|
assume the best intent from each other, and do not ascribe malice. Assume that if
|
|
someone is complaining about your conduct, it is because they either genuinely feel it
|
|
is exclusionary to them, or they genuinely believe it is exclusionary to others - in the
|
|
first instance, take it as a learning experience, correct your conduct and move on. If
|
|
possible, assume, too, that bad conduct from others may derive from a misunderstanding
|
|
or a lack of that learning experience rather than a deliberate attempt to exclude - in
|
|
the first instance, correct them and move on. Do not, however, use this as an excuse for
|
|
bad conduct or a reason to ignore it.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Pick Your Words">
|
|
<p>A small amount of effort in ensuring your words are
|
|
professional and polite, and avoiding subjects and expressions that may offend, goes a
|
|
long way. Humour is not a mitigating factor here.</p>
|
|
<p>It's often useful to limit your comments to the point you wish to make if you're unsure.</p>
|
|
<p>Examples of what to avoid:</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Racist language, whether intentional or not.</li>
|
|
<li>Threats of violence, or violent language directed against someone else.</li>
|
|
<li>Sexually explicit imagery, language, or behaviour.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Be Respectful">
|
|
<p>Disagreements are normal and common. Sometimes, the different goals we
|
|
have in our shared endeavour conflict, and it is important that we are able to explain
|
|
why. Criticism is essential to find the best solutions to the problems that face us.
|
|
However, it is vital that while we are open and honest in our criticism, we do so with
|
|
the calm respect we expect of others.</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Try to be open over your point of view, intent and
|
|
interests when expressing critique: this helps to discuss the different
|
|
points of view in a constructive way.</li>
|
|
<li>Try phrasing comments as an invitation to explore an issue.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>Examples of what to avoid:</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Personal insults.</li>
|
|
<li>Ad-hominem attacks.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Be Friendly and Supportive">
|
|
<p>We are, fundamentally, a community of people working to
|
|
share technology with each other. We should be friendly toward each
|
|
other, and act to support each other's efforts.</p>
|
|
<p>Examples of what to avoid</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Impersonation of other people (copying their nickname, avatar, and so on).</li>
|
|
<li>Privacy breaches, including doxxing etc.</li>
|
|
<li>Unwelcome sexual attention.</li>
|
|
<li>Encouraging poor behaviour in others.</li>
|
|
<li>Harrassing others.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>As a rule of thumb, if you find yourself dividing the community into an
|
|
"us" and a "them", you are risking breaking this Code of Conduct.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="About the Examples">
|
|
<p>The examples in this document of what not to do are intended to be just that - examples.
|
|
They are not intended to be exhaustive. Many of these examples have formal definitions,
|
|
either in law or elsewhere - in general, if you are reliant on such a definition to
|
|
argue why your behaviour might be acceptable, you have already lost the argument. </p>
|
|
<p>Instead, please try to follow the spirit of this document, perhaps more so than its
|
|
words.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic="Governing Principles">
|
|
<p>The governing principle of this Code of Conduct is that all participation in XSF Activities is
|
|
solely by permission of the XMPP Standards Foundation. No person has any automatic right to join
|
|
a XSF chatroom or mailing list, or contribute to XSF documents such as the XEP series.</p>
|
|
<p>Ordinarily, the XMPP Standards Foundation welcomes and encourages
|
|
participation in XSF Activities, but this guiding principle allows the XSF to partially or
|
|
completely exclude anyone from any activity, for any reason.</p>
|
|
<p>The final decision on such exclusions is made by the Board, who may from time to time appoint a Work
|
|
Team, called the Conduct Team, to act on their behalf. If the Work Team has not been appointed,
|
|
the Conduct Team is the Board.</p>
|
|
<p>There are exceptions to this - in particular any right of elected members of the
|
|
Foundation under the Bylaws cannot be curtailed by the Board, though the Board
|
|
(or any other any member) could start the process to eject a member. This means
|
|
that members are trusted by the other members to a higher degree than other
|
|
participants; something that should be considered during elections.</p>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='Who This Applies To' anchor='who'>
|
|
<p>This Code of Conduct applies to anyone who:</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Acts in a capacity which could reasonably be expected to be acting on behalf of the
|
|
XMPP Standards Foundation or the wider XMPP Community.</li>
|
|
<li>Participates in any XSF Activity.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<section2 topic="Acting in a capacity">
|
|
<p>The first case may seem extremely broad. The intent here is that while good behaviour which
|
|
might be associated with the XSF and its community reflects well on us, the opposite is
|
|
also true. By explicitly stating that this Code of Conduct applies this allows the XSF
|
|
to sanction bad behaviour outside of XSF Activities should the need arise.</p>
|
|
<p>Note also that this is not intended to mean that any XMPP developer's behaviour will be
|
|
scrutinised constantly - using, for example, racist language in a talk about your XMPP
|
|
project would be problematic here, but using sexualised language in your erotic fiction
|
|
hobby is likely to be irrelevant to this Code of Conduct.</p>
|
|
<p>However, higher standards may be applied to those seen as representative of the community,
|
|
such as Members and in particular members of Board or Council.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='How We Handle Bad Conduct' anchor='enforcement'>
|
|
<section2 topic="Reporting">
|
|
<p>If you witness bad conduct by somebody - that is, if you feel someone's behaviour does not
|
|
live up to this Code of Conduct - please do express your concern (calmly and gently) to that
|
|
person at the time, but only if you feel able. This allows the person to recognise their behaviour
|
|
may be problematic an correct it at the time without undue escalation. If you feel uncomfortable
|
|
to do so that is perfectly fine and will not affect further handling of the incident.</p>
|
|
<p>Whether or not you called it out, do one of the following:</p>
|
|
<ul>
|
|
<li>Let the Conduct Team know.</li>
|
|
<li>Let the Board know.</li>
|
|
<li>Let at least one member of the Board, and preferably more, know.</li>
|
|
</ul>
|
|
<p>Who you report it might depend on who was involved in the incident - you
|
|
may feel that members of the Conduct Team or the Board were involved or present and wish
|
|
to report to others.</p>
|
|
<p>It may also be in some cases people may prefer to report informally; while
|
|
reporting "properly" is preferred, the Conduct Team should strive to handle
|
|
informal reports in the same way if possible.</p>
|
|
<p>Importantly, even if someone else called it out or said to you they would report it, report
|
|
it anyway. This ensures the Conduct Team have a clear understanding of what happened and who
|
|
saw the conduct, and allows the Conduct Team to identify any longer term patterns.</p>
|
|
<p>When you report it, include the place, date and time, and report it as calmly as
|
|
possible.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Consideration">
|
|
<p>The Conduct Team will then discuss the incident. This should be done quickly, and in private.</p>
|
|
<p>The Conduct Team may ask for further information from you, the person accused of bad conduct,
|
|
or others who were present.</p>
|
|
<p>Finally, the Conduct Team will make a decision on sanctions or other action.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Sanctions and Actions">
|
|
<p>The purpose of a Code of Conduct is to ensure our community is as
|
|
welcoming and inclusive as possible. Sanctions are by their nature exclusionary,
|
|
and many Actions are unlikely be to welcoming to those involved. Therefore the
|
|
Conduct Team must consider how to ensure the Actions they take and the
|
|
Sanctions they impose resolve the concerns proportionally, balancing the
|
|
needs of the community with the individuals that form it, with the goal of
|
|
maximizing inclusion and promoting positive behaviours.</p>
|
|
<p>The Conduct team will normally have its authority to make decisions delegated to it
|
|
by the Board. In some cases the Conduct Team may choose to hand its recommendation on
|
|
Sanctions or other Actions to the Board even if authority has not been delegated. The Board
|
|
will discuss and vote on these "in camera" (ie, not in public and not minuted).</p>
|
|
<p>Finally, the result will normally be explained to the person accused on bad conduct, and may
|
|
be explained to the complainant.</p>
|
|
<p>Any announcement of Actions or Sanctions is an Action in and of itself, and should be considered
|
|
carefully. In general terms, any announcement should be proportionate to the bad conduct and the size of
|
|
the audience which witnessed it. In high profile cases, therefore, the Conduct Team may decide
|
|
the result will be announced publicly in order to restore trust.</p>
|
|
<p>Sanctions may consist of having the ability to participate reduced or removed from some or
|
|
all XSF Activities. Actions may include discussion with the Conduct Team. These are
|
|
non-exhaustive.</p>
|
|
<p>Many minor incidents will, therefore, not be reported publicly at all, and - even if there is
|
|
an agreement that bad conduct occurred - may not result in any visible actions at all.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
<section2 topic="Appeal">
|
|
<p>If you disagree with the decision made by the Board and you were either the subject of bad
|
|
conduct or subject to the actions or sanctions, you may appeal in writing by sending an
|
|
email to the Board. The Board will consider your argument as written and will normally
|
|
respond. The Board's decision after appeal is, however, final.</p>
|
|
</section2>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='Security Considerations' anchor='security'>
|
|
<p>It is possible for almost any behaviour to have some argument why it is not, in fact, exclusionary,
|
|
and why it's just someone taking offence too easily. It also is possible for the Code of Conduct
|
|
to be weaponised for exclusionary purposes, by using the complaints mechanism to stall or
|
|
silence valid debate. Both of these are cases where the very existence of a Code of Conduct is
|
|
used for exclusionary purposes, perverting its very intent. Obviously, don't do either.</p>
|
|
<p>"Assume Good Faith", in particular, holds the risk of an endless argument over how far to go with
|
|
that assumption, and where the burden lies - the phrasing is intended to minimize the wiggle
|
|
room there.</p>
|
|
<p>There are no simple answers to these concerns. Future Boards and Conduct teams are advised to be
|
|
wary of both cases.</p>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='IANA Considerations' anchor='iana'>
|
|
<p>This document has no considerations for IANA.</p>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
<section1 topic='XMPP Registrar Considerations' anchor='registrar'>
|
|
<p>This document has no considerations for the XMPP Registrar.</p>
|
|
</section1>
|
|
</xep>
|