The case for and against a Code of Conduct

Written by Jeremy Wilken 17 Jun2010

Open source communities are all unique. They rise from different origins, attract different kinds of people, serve different needs, and organize themselves to best suit their own goals. I would venture to say that the community surrounding Ubuntu is regarded as one of the best, and that many other communities look upon it with envious eyes.

Ubuntu has a very well organized community, but I am not a member so I cannot truly speak to it. Most of what I know is secondhand, but they have something very precious: a Code of Conduct (CoC). Joomla uses it, Drupal is talking about it, and Wordpress is planning on getting one, which may or may not be based on the Ubuntu CoC.

A Code of Conduct meets a community

It sounds like the start of a chick flick, boy meets girl, community meets a CoC. Sometimes it is framed this way, where a young community is adrift until it finds out its heart really belongs to a CoC, and the young community doesn't feel complete without it. There are plenty of folks who love the idea of a code, and plenty who find it frivolous and offensive.

What is a Code of Conduct

Simply put, its a set of rules or guidelines to which in a perfect world all community members agree to abide. It usually says something about respecting one another, guidelines on collaboration, and some information about what happens if you violate the code. The kicker is that if a community adopts it (which might be a decision of a leadership team or of the community as a whole), it is automatically applied to all members of the community. Some projects may require that you agree to the code before registering for an account, or might imply that creating an account signifies you agree to the terms. Look at the Ubuntu code to get a good idea of what it attempts to do, but of course each one is unique.

The case for a code

Every community has a need to keep itself focused on the common goals, and a code can be one of many tools a community can use to help keep itself in line. If you read the code, there isn't much to contend with. You may find little snippets to disagree with, but the overall goal of the code is evident: lets work together to make this project thrive. You may disagree with some of the tactics, but ultimately that isn't what the code is about.

The code should reflect the attitude of its members, and having it written down publicly for all to see is an age old tradition in a technological community. The point of the code is one to encourage the community, to be available when its needed, and to fade to the background when things are going well. If an issue comes up, the code is there to help provide members a clear route to solving the issue.

The case against a code

I think that generally its hard to find anything explicitly wrong with what the code says. However, it can be easily argued that a code can become the focus of a community, rather than a tool. It might also be used as a weapon against members, and that most certainly would be a major issue. The code can be like a rulebook, rather than a peaceful accord. If a community is fine without one, why add it?

Also, who sets the code, and how? Generally they are created by some kind of leader(s) and passed down to the community. In a sense, its often a communal code written by a small group and not the community itself. The assumption is that a community has a certain limit where it requires a code and other tools to enable itself to continue to grow. I find this false, as I believe the only real limiting factor in a community is the effectiveness of the communication and decision making process.

So my opinion actually is...

My opinion is that a code of conduct has a place in an open source project. I see this much the same way that most clubs have a general set of bylaws by which they govern themselves. I think you should be able to appeal to other community members on a personal level rather than having to cite violations of a code. If members find themselves at odds and are unable to resolve things themselves, perhaps the code will be of use, but probably even then its better for them to appeal to other members to help mediate.

Ultimately, its up the community to set standards for itself. They may wish to publish them in a code of conduct, which is a clear and simple method or they might have an alternative method. To me, the important thing is that community members are concerned about respecting one another and focused on the common project. Thats the whole point isn't it?