Seeking feedback and/or approval on CWG working group drafts

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On Thu, Apr 21, 2011 at 16:57, inode0 <inode0 at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Apr 19, 2011 at 11:25 AM, Robyn Bergeron
> <robyn.bergeron at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Greetings,
>>
>> The CWG has been taking into account feedback on the drafts we
>> previously posted.  The group is now seeking any further feedback
>> and/or approval.
>>
>> https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Community_working_group/Code_of_Conduct_Draft
>
> This reads like a long-winded "be nice" which is probably what it is
> intended to be I guess.
>
> I don't know if it is my imagination or not but things seem to have
> substantially improved lately.

Things are always nicer about this time of year. The release isn't
done yet and so people are concentrating on those parts. However 3
weeks to 2 months after a release the dramaz will most likely start up
again.

>> http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Community_working_group/CoC_Enforcement
>
> While I find the Code of Conduct draft innocuous I don't feel the same
> way about the Enforcement draft. While I am mostly fine with the first
> three sections in this document I strongly dislike the blanket grant
> of power to punish vague offenses to the CWG.
>
> "Violations of the Code of Conduct may be resolved by suggestions for
> avoiding the problem in the future up to permanent exclusion from the
> project, and anything in-between."
>
> I know the intentions here are good and there is a desire to not try
> to enumerate things since everything can't be enumerated but permanent
> expulsion from the project for any action that the CWG deems a
> violation of the Code of Conduct is a little too broad isn't it? I
> understand that there is no intention to use that power except in
> really extreme cases but that isn't specified here and honestly I
> wouldn't want expulsion to be a delegated power. I would much prefer
> to see it require an FPL+unanimous Board decision.

The last sentence covers that:

The final decision takes place with the Fedora Board, or the long term
delegate of their choosing.

The one problem with wording unanimous requirements is that in small
communities everyone knows everyone and has some sort of "history". I
have seen where because unanimous was required but one or two people
on a board had to recuse themselves from the decision, the criteria of
unanimity could never be reached. It is at this point in geeks trying
to be lawyers that I usually claw out my left eye and go find a quiet
place.



-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.
"The core skill of innovators is error recovery, not failure avoidance."
Randy Nelson, President of Pixar University.
"Let us be kind, one to another, for most of us are fighting a hard
battle." -- Ian MacLaren