From e92cbb32a9eb9e5b958e7ddc12d686b70e2c23a4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Patrick Spek Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2019 09:16:27 +0200 Subject: Writeup on the SoC controversy --- _posts/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.html | 113 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 113 insertions(+) create mode 100644 _posts/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.html (limited to '_posts') diff --git a/_posts/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.html b/_posts/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d2f6ed9 --- /dev/null +++ b/_posts/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.html @@ -0,0 +1,113 @@ +--- +title: The SoC Controversy +layout: post +tags: Perl Perl6 PerlCon SoC StandardsOfConduct CoC CodeOfConduct +description: > + For a while now, there's been a controversy about Standards or Codes of + Conduct. This has also sprung up in the context of PerlCon. I'd like to + address the issue for myself. +--- + +{% markdown %} +Those that know me are probably aware that I generally dislike to make +political posts on my personal blog. I'd rather stick to technological +arguments, as there's less problems to be found with regards to personal +feelings and all that. However, as I'm growing older (and hopefully more +mature), I find it harder to keep politics out of my life as I interact with +online communities. This becomes especially true as I am helping with +organizing [PerlCon 2020](). +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +PerlCon 2019 ended yesterday, and I had a lot of fun. I'd like to thank the +organizer, Andrew Shitov, once more for doing an amazing job. Especially so, as +he has been harassed for weeks, for trying to organize the conference. The +reason behind the harassment was partly due to his decision to not have an SoC, +or "Standards of Conduct", for PerlCon 2019. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +During his final announcements at the end of the conference, he noted that this +is still happening, even in person at the conference itself. This toxic +behaviour towards him has made him decide to no longer involve himself in +organizing a conference for the Perl community. I personally think this is a +loss for everyone involved in the community, and one that was completely +avoidable by having humane discussion instead of going for Twitter harassment. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +For what it's worth, I think Twitter is also the worst possible place on the +Internet for any reasonable discussion, as it puts a very low limit on the +amount of characters you are allowed to spend on a single post. This makes it +downright impossible for any discussion, and seems to always lead to petty +name-calling. This is one of the reasons why [I'm instead using a Pleroma +instance]() for my social media presence on the Internet. If anyone is on the +Internet with the intent of having interesting discussion, I'd highly recommend +to use some entrance into the Fediverse. The instance I'm using is open for +sign-ups! +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +But I digress. The SoC controversy is what made me want to write this blog +post. I wonder why this even is a controversy. Why do people think it is +impossible to co-exist without some document describing explicitly what is and +is not allowed? I remember having those at school when I was younger. Did we +not grow up, and learn how to simply respect one another in person since then? +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +I wonder, was there any certain event at PerlCon 2019 that would've been +avoided if there *was* a SoC provided? I certainly did not, at any point, feel +that people were being harmful to one another, but maybe I'm just blind to it. +If anyone has concrete examples of events that happened during PerlCon 2019 +that a SoC could've prevented, I would be genuinely interested in hearing about +them. I need to help make a decision about things like this for PerlCon 2020, +and concrete examples would be benificial in understanding why people think +they need it. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +Of course, I also consider the opposite of this discussion. Can the SoC be used +to *cause* harm, in stead of deter it? For this, I actually have clear +evidence, and the answer is a resounding **yes**. The harassment brought upon +Andrew was originally caused by an event that transpired at The Perl Conference +in Pittsburgh (2019). A video was removed, and a speaker harassed, for +deadnaming someone. Until that event, I wasn't even aware of the term, but +apparently it's grounds for removal of your presentation from the conference +archives. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +A similar event happened with The Perl Conference in Glasgow (2018), where a +talk was also removed from the archives for a supposedly offensive joke that +was made. This also sparked a heavy discussion on IRC back then, with people +from all sides pitching in with their opinion. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +From my perspective, the people shouting the loudest in these discussions +aren't interested in making the world a better place where we can live in +harmony, but to punish the offender for their behaviour. I don't think we +should strive towards punishment, but towards understanding, if anything. Just +being angry, shouting at people (either in real life, or over the Internet) +isn't going to solve any underlying problem. It is more likely to cause more +issues in the long run, where people will just be more divided, and will want +to get continuous revenge upon the other side. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +Additionally, I think that the existence of an SoC or likewise document is a +sign towards outsiders that your community can't behave itself maturely. They +need special rules laid out to them, after all. Like most rules, they are +codified because issues have arisen in the past, and keep on arising. I don't +think the Perl community is too immature to behave itself. I trust in the good +faith of people, and to me it feels like a SoC does the exact opposite. +{% endmarkdown %} + +{% markdown %} +I hope this blog post does it's job to invite you kindly to share your opinions +with me, either on IRC, email or on the Fediverse. I'd gladly start a +discussion on the positive and negative effects the SoC has, and the problems +it solves and creates. I think a civil discussion is in order here, to best +prepare us for PerlCon 2020. +{% endmarkdown %} -- cgit v1.1