[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #957: Create a community Code of Conduct

[Making WordPress.org]

#957: Create a community Code of Conduct
--------------------------+---------------------
  Reporter:  melchoyce    |      Owner:
      Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
  Priority:  normal       |  Component:  General
Resolution:               |   Keywords:
--------------------------+---------------------

Comment (by mor10):

 An update of sorts:

 As @jenmylo mentioned, a group started working on both the CoC and the
 reporting system / site at the summit in Philadelphia in December. Out of
 this came some draft documents, a draft proposal for a form, and a plan of
 sorts on how to move forward.

 The documents prepared at the summit + a bunch of related materials are
 found in this Drive folder:
 https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxDUgYOn6IP8OC1FbFBXVUNwTUE

 The draft proposal for a form was provided to Jen and work was done to add
 it to the WordPress.org site so submissions could be completed. I am not
 aware of where that process is at the moment. Last I heard, a page was
 being set up to host the form.

 == Moving forward ==
 Considering the significant discussions that are being had around Codes of
 Conduct in the wider Open Source community, and our lack of the same, I
 believe this work is of some urgency.

 As far as I see it, there are five main pieces to this puzzle:

 1. '''The Code of Conduct itself,''' stipulating a framework for
 interactions in the community and clearly defining what spaces (online and
 offline) it pertains to.
 2. An '''enforcement policy''' outlining consequences for breaches of the
 Code of Conduct, who has the right to make decisions on enforcement, and
 how to raise complaints about enforcement.
 3. A clearly defined '''framework for''', and the official '''formation
 of, an "Escalation" group''' whose responsibility it is to objectively
 collect, assess, and make judgement on, complaints about Code of Conduct
 breaches.
 4. An '''anonymized system for reporting of Code of Conduct breaches'''
 that provides the means to report breaches and the option to do so
 anonymously in line with various international laws and regulations.
 5. A '''transparent system''' through which community members can be
 '''informed about the CoC and Enforcement process''', any decisions made
 by the Escalation team (anonymized), and how to contribute, question, or
 take part in the evolution of either.

 While this looks like a major undertaking, much of the groundwork for this
 has already been done in the wider community. Codes of Conduct are well
 established, both in online communities and in companies, organizations,
 even nations, and these should be relied on when creating our own.

 Likewise, enforcement policies and frameworks for "Escalation" teams or
 roles already exist in many forms throughout various social and
 professional spheres.

 Building on these materials, I am confident we can create a solid CoC and
 system for enforcement that provides a positive frame of reference for our
 community and its interactions.

 == Challenges ==
 The biggest challenge in this process is the CoC itself, mainly because it
 is a document that is loaded with emotional elements. This is typically
 why such documents take a long time to write, and also why they become
 controversial and are often not adopted.

 If we use existing legal documents and CoCs as a baseline for this
 process, we may be able to avoid the typical resulting vague document that
 uses colloquial phrases and becomes unenforceable. All things considered,
 a Code of Conduct is a legal document of sorts, and should be treated as
 such. This includes review by legal professionals.

 == Proposed action points ==
 I propose whomever wishes to contribute to this project take a look at
 what's currently in the Drive folder linked above to start. The folder
 contains source materials as well as several draft documents, all open and
 free for editing and comments.

 Moving forward I hope we can organize meetings on Slack to discuss the
 process and set a timeline. I am willing to take on the responsibility of
 leading this work, but to do that I need approval from the larger group.

 Establishing a Code of Conduct for the WordPress community is an important
 undertaking, and I believe we can get this done in 2016. I'm looking
 forward to hearing your thoughts.

--
Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/957#comment:28>
Making WordPress.org <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/>
Making WordPress.org