From 5d10c30fc5150ced04ebfcb1a9e100c43bef4762 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Patrick Spek Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2022 15:39:07 +0100 Subject: Add missing articles from 2019 --- .../posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md | 99 ++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 99 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md (limited to 'content/posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md') diff --git a/content/posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md b/content/posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..762492d --- /dev/null +++ b/content/posts/2019/2019-08-10-the-soc-controversy.md @@ -0,0 +1,99 @@ +--- +title: The SoC Controversy +date: 2019-08-10 +tags: +- CodeOfConduct +- Conference +- Perl6 +- Raku +--- + +{{< admonition title="Disclaimer" >}} +{% admonition_md Disclaimer %} +Please keep in mind that the opinion shared in this blog post is mine and mine +alone. I do not speak for any other members of the PerlCon organization team. +Please do not address anyone but me for the positions held in this post. +{{< / admonition >}} + +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 plan to assist with +organizing [PerlCon +2020](https://wiki.perlcon.eu/doku.php/proposals/2020/amsterdam). + +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. + +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 +behavior 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. + +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](https://soc.fglt.nl/main/public) 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! + +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 would hope that we're all adults, and can respect one another +as such. + +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. If I am to assist in organizing PerlCon 2020, and I want to be able to +present a good argument on the SoC discussion, I'll need concrete examples of +real problems that have occurred. + +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 +dead-naming 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. + +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. + +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 behavior. 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. + +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. + +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](/#contact). 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. -- cgit v1.1