Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
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Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#2> DHH condemned detailed and strict CoC like the Contributor Covenant as a “trojan horse” that should be purged from projects. ESR went even further, asserting that CoC are nothing more than a “tool for troublemakers” and that the best course of action is to delete them entirely from projects.
At this point, in 2025, does anybody seriously doubt that they're a "tool for troublemakers"? A lot of people who would otherwise contribute see a hyper-particular CoC, written by an HR type or an aspiring lawyer, and walk away. Others don't bother to read the CoC and may later be dragged through coals over something exceedingly minor, despite their contributions.
In open-source, the best policy is to avoid CoCs and avoid those who write and promote them.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#3CoCs are like having faith in some prerequisite magical spell is first necessary to control and compel people to behave in a proscribed manner when, in reality, they are more like EULAs and Cider House Rules that (almost) no one reads. Paperwork cannot transform people. Perhaps their limited marginal value is existing to show that community is defended and there is a clear and thoughtful process to arbitrate and resolve conflict rather than falling into either extremes of absentee inaction or heavy-handed, summary, expedient, arbitrary expulsion.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#4CoC are like club rules. Useless - except for when you want to make an example of someone.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#5The thing is that codes of conduct do not help honest actors “regulate” and deal with troublemakers.
I used to organize meetups and I visited meetups organized by others who had code of conduct, and I just never understood what they were hoping to achieve with that.
If someone behaves poorly, you can point at a document all you want, but it doesn’t help you deal that the problematic individual. A document that you put in a markdown file is not enforceable.
And we didn’t even talk about how it is being misused. People would point to these documents to silence and shut out people they don’t like and at the same time tolerate poor behavior that are clearly in violation of code of conduct by people they do like or whose politics or opinions they share.
It is all just a charade to help you pretend that you are impartial.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#6CoCs are one of the reasons why I choose to not contribute. I don't enjoy the risk of someone with an axe to grind to drag me into some absurd GitHub comments drama and feel justified by some generic wording on the CoC.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#7Is programming lame enough yet that we can get away from everything being done by hr and get back to doing cool things with weird people?
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#8The thing is that codes of conduct do not help honest actors “regulate” and deal with troublemakers. I used to organize meetups and I visited meetups organized by others who had code of conduct, and I just never understood what they were hoping to achieve with that. If someone behaves poorly, you can point at a document all you want, but it doesn’t help you deal that the problematic individual. A document that you pu…
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Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#9CoCs are like having faith in some prerequisite magical spell is first necessary to control and compel people to behave in a proscribed manner when, in reality, they are more like EULAs and Cider House Rules that (almost) no one reads. Paperwork cannot transform people. Perhaps their limited marginal value is existing to show that community is defended and there is a clear and thoughtful process to arbitrate and reso…
> Perhaps their limited marginal value is existing to show there is a clear and thoughtful process to arbitrate and resolve conflict
and I have a slightly used bridge to sell.
Re: Heavy codes of conduct are unnecessary for open source projects
#10CoCs are one of the reasons why I choose to not contribute. I don't enjoy the risk of someone with an axe to grind to drag me into some absurd GitHub comments drama and feel justified by some generic wording on the CoC.
But could they not do the same without a CoC?