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I Violated a Code of Conduct

fast.ai

51–60 of 971 posts

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#51

Stuff like this is what gives CoCs a bad rep, although when implemented well, they can be hugely beneficial to communities.

As I see it, a CoC is a tool for those in power to better exert their influence and control. If those in power are just and competent then it's a tool for good. If those in power are selfish or unskilled then it's a tool for ill. Unfortunately, I suspect the latter is much more often the case than the former.

Indeed. I think CoC is kind of like any other form of "justice". One thing I dislike about them, is most seem to emphasize secrecy (To protect the accuser, and the accused). And they aren't wrong to worry about protecting those parties. However, in the real world, having transparency in court cases, is one the core checks on the power of the judiciary that prevent it from being abused.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#52
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. Each conference has their own goals, but I'd think that a general thread that underlies all of them is the exchange of ideas. If you can't criticize ideas ("Joe Schmoe is wrong about X"), then I'd say you're not doing a great job of exchanging ideas. I think preventing attendees from criticizing people ("Joe Schmoe is dumb") is perfectly fine, but that's clearly not what happened here.

Like I said: it's a surprising norm for a conference. But if it's clearly communicated, it's fine. It's just that kind of event. Here, it wasn't clearly communicated; if the author had seen the norm, they'd have presented something else, or not at all. What I reject is the idea that all spaces are somehow required to make space for criticism. There are spaces where that rule doesn't make sense. We're unlikely to find…

> What I reject is the idea that all spaces are somehow required to make space for > criticism. There are spaces where that rule doesn't make sense.

There are spaces where it doesn't make sense - for you -. Any forum where criticism is not acceptable should be classified as advertising or possibly propaganda.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#55

So sad to hear about your health issues Jeremy. Wishing you the best during this time. I _do_ hope you reconsider on barring your speaking engagements however. Bad gigs will happen. But you are stronger than that. =)

Or Jeremy could just not present at conferences that have a CoC.

I've stopped contributing to projects that enforce a CoC, these days I just write exploits for them.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#56
I wonder how the CFP committee selected the talk without realizing it would be discussing someone else’s talk? It would seem that there’s fault there if indeed this supposed standard exists as the described talk clearly sounds like a rebuttal to another one.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#57
post #49

I stopped reading when he said he's fine with cancel culture: since what is referred to as “cancellation” is often just “facing consequences” . No, cancel culture is bullying. Edit: I feel that the author was bullied, or mistreated, so I was primed to be upset when seeing his own dismissal of cancel culture.

(Some) People are fine with "cancel culture" until it happens to them. Then it's cyberbullying, or worse.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#58
It really seems this is overwhelmingly about communication, not about CoCs or the norms specified in a given CoC.

It's not even "I violated the Code of Conduct, so I got banned from the conference", we didn't even get that far because just communicating the "I violated the Code of Conduct" part was already a debacle.

The post isn't about being cancelled, it's about an awful experience that caused the OP to burn out on conferences, to put it mildly.

Not even in the worst straw-person SJW interpretation of CoCs would this be the intended outcome.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#59

Using CoC's to backstab people is not going to end well. Using CoC's to institute a heirarchy of 'who can criticize who' is going to be rebelled against. Some people are power hungry and use words to get power. They are exposing themselves in the silliest ways. Pure vanity.

This new CoC trend is similar to some HOA (homeowners associations) horror stories where the people in charge of the HOA do so for the power trip as opposed to actually providing value.

Re: I Violated a Code of Conduct

#60
post #31
post #6

We're literally tearing ourselves apart, and I don't want to hold opinions about human beings anymore. Anyone can be an enemy or dislike you. Social media has rotted us from within and from all sides. Left, right, it doesn't matter. Everyone is so hostile and eager to end other people. This is madness. Yes, I did read the article. We're cancelling people over criticism . Somebody needs to hide Linus. I don't like cri…

> I don't like criticism. I was bullied a lot as a kid. I don't like the idea of conflating "bullying" and "criticism". They're very different things. Even harsh criticism isn't really the same thing as bullying in my mind (Although it can be a part of bullying).

Surely, it isn't a leap to imagine that someone who was bullied a lot as a child would have a difficult time constructively receiving criticism? I believe most people are not great at constructively giving it, so it doesn't seem like that should be a stretch at all.
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