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New FreeBSD Code of Conduct (freebsd.org) 150

An anonymous reader writes: FreeBSD has has adopted a new LLVM-derived code of conduct. The code of conduct requires users to: be friendly and patient,
be welcoming,
be considerate,
be respectful,
be careful in the words that you choose and be kind to others,
when we disagree, try to understand why.

This isn't an exhaustive list of things that you can't do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it's intended - a guide to make it easier to communicate and participate in the community. This code of conduct applies to all spaces managed by the FreeBSD project. This includes online chat, mailing lists, bug trackers, FreeBSD events such as the developer meetings and socials, and any other forums created by the project that the community uses for communication. It applies to all of your communication and conduct in these spaces, including emails, chats, things you say, slides, videos, posters, signs, or even t-shirts you display in these spaces. In addition, violations of this code outside these spaces may, in rare cases, affect a person's ability to participate within them, when the conduct amounts to an egregious violation of this code.

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New FreeBSD Code of Conduct

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  • Nice editing. These are simply rules for the community forums. It doesn't require users of the operating system to do the square root of jack shit.

    Nice phrasing to dog-whistle the anti-code-of-conduct crowd though.

  • Be competent! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Ed Tice ( 3732157 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @09:59AM (#60175444)
    I am generally supportive of codes of conduct although they have their drawbacks (which have been debated here on /. ad nauseum). But one of the challenges with being "friendly and patient" is that, if you do this, the incompetent will consume all of the time of the competent and nothing will get done. And it's very hard to be "friendly and patient" while also being firm that you aren't going to waste your time on the incompetent! Sadly, in technology especially, getting things done requires actively refusing to suffer fools.
    • Re:Be competent! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by MightyMartian ( 840721 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:05AM (#60175484) Journal

      Oh bullshit. Even when you take someone to task, you can do it without going Full Torvalds. I have had to reprimand staff, and fire them. And never once have I raised my voice, called them names, sworn at them, or done anything. You can express irritation and disappointment without being an abusive jerk and bully.

      • You must certainly can. And I agree with you. But I also know of certain people who will just keep coming back even when you are curt with them. Was more of a problem when I was younger and those people were "peers" Yeah easier if you can just fire them. But you can't really do that in an open source project.
        • Nothing in there says you have to engage with them, give them your benefit at first, and once they start coming back with minor question after question expecting it all spoon-fed to them, stop replying.

          Its really easy and simple. You can direct them elsewhere as you go, but nothing is forcing you to reply even in the first instance.

        • by gweihir ( 88907 )

          But I also know of certain people who will just keep coming back even when you are curt with them. Was more of a problem when I was younger and those people were "peers" Yeah easier if you can just fire them. But you can't really do that in an open source project.

          The solution to that is to filter them out technologically. That is an exceptionally harsh thing to do, but you never violated this type of CoC that way. And this will have to be done.

      • by Junta ( 36770 )

        Oh bullshit.

        I mean, that's an interesting way to start a comment making the statement you ultimately made.

        I pretty well agree with you, but it's an odd way to start off your argument that undermines your point a bit.

        • Re:Be competent! (Score:4, Insightful)

          by Farmer Tim ( 530755 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:26AM (#60175604) Journal

          I disagree, it’s the finest and possibly most widely applicable executive summary I’ve ever seen.

          • by Junta ( 36770 )

            Only because you agree with the person who used the phrase. The funny part about declaring bullshit is that people who already agree with you will be happy, but anyone who disagrees with that assessment is just going to get more angry. It's not exactly going to win hearts and minds.

            When it comes to debate, we have a tendency to indulge in 'preaching to the choir', using ways of speaking that make you and the people who already agree with you energized and happier, but drive those who disagree further away.

        • by Sebby ( 238625 )

          Oh bullshit.

          I pretty well agree with you, but it's an odd way to start off your argument that undermines your point a bit.

          Could've said "Well then, bullshit I say." instead (with extra awesomeness when heard with a British accent in your head*).

          * now don't go all British-vs-non British argumentative on me

      • by tsstahl ( 812393 )

        Instead you come here to vent all that steam? Niiiice. Doesn't make you wrong, though. :)

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        The way this is worded, the onus for action is on the sufferer, and the one being suffered can choose how they interpret the actions of the sufferer. Basically the incompetent get to decide if there is an offense. Which is kind of the worst possible situation. Inmates running the asylum.
      • IMO Torvalds has/had the right level. People would always say he could be an ass but the results didn't lie. He got shit done. Linux wouldn't be where it is if he was nice about it and I think project leads need to be assholes from time to time. If you cant handle it then go work on something less important.

        I use the past tense because it seems he's gone a little soft in his later years. It bodes poor for the long term health of the kernel but I have a lot of reasons to fear for the survival of Linux now a

        • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

          by gbjbaanb ( 229885 )

          Linus only gets a pass because he did his thing first, if he was a new coder who appeared today and joined, say, the Rust community. He'd be demonised, reported to the police, hate-mobbed on twitter and banned already.

          The results don't lie, getting stuff done is much more important than anyone realises, but the SJW "community leaders" don't want you to achieve that, not when they get off on keeping you down. The only success they approve of is the one that promotes them and their power.

      • Oh bullshit. Even when you take someone to task, you can do it without going Full Torvalds. I have had to reprimand staff, and fire them. And never once have I raised my voice, called them names, sworn at them, or done anything. You can express irritation and disappointment without being an abusive jerk and bully.

        Right... but correctly applied "Half Torvalds" or "Three Quarters Torvalds" is mighty useful in systems engineering.

        In fact... you really cannot have a career without it. When you cannot prove to someone they are wrong because they are too stupid to understand the issues... application of the "Torvald's Maneuver" is very effective.

        But don't go full Torvalds.... Everybody knows you never go full Torvalds.

      • by gweihir ( 88907 )

        Actually, you can be exceptionally abusive and a complete jerk without ever being impolite. On the other hand, trying to enforce "friendly" is impossible because that requires respect and respect has to be earned.

      • by lorinc ( 2470890 )

        Remember that offence is taken, never given. You can be as nice and fair as you think you are while reprimanding someone, and that person can still complain that you are being a jerk because it hurts his/her feelings.

        This is the problem with these CoC: they are asymmetric. You are not allowed to be a jerk when you are on the emitting part, but you are totally allowed to be one when you're on the receiving part.

        Bonus point: who's more likely to be on the emitting/receiving end among those that produce/consum

      • How much time should anyone spend taking others to task? That was really his point, wasn't it?

        If you expect experts in the field to be nice to you, the least you can do is rise to their level every once and awhile, or get out if you can't.

    • by b0bby ( 201198 )

      The competent are under no obligation to respond to the incompetent. It's possible to just ignore the fools, without being actively rude to them. It's also good to remember that sometimes all of us are the fools; none of us are competent across all domains.

      • That's a good point. In an open source project you can just ignore people. At work, people get angry if you don't answer their emails :)
      • by gweihir ( 88907 )

        The competent are under no obligation to respond to the incompetent. It's possible to just ignore the fools, without being actively rude to them. It's also good to remember that sometimes all of us are the fools; none of us are competent across all domains.

        Actually, ignoring fools is exceptionally rude and harsh, it is the ultimate expression of disdain. But the beauty of it is, it does not violated brain-damaged CoCs like this one! It just requires a bit of discipline and you can freeze out all the morons that you ordinarily would at least have given a hint as to how they could solve their problems themselves.

    • Basically How To Ask Questions The Smart Way should be a major part of this, you mean?
    • But who is really the stupid one?

      When you are stating your opinion you believe you are right, otherwise it wouldn't be your opinion.

      Now someone may come up with a idea, that seems stupid to you. Now you can either go onto discredit the person as being incompetent or dumb, or you can try to understand their point. It may be still stupid, however even in the most stupid statements there are often hints of originality a different way at looking at something. Now you can use that bit of insight to revise your

  • by xystren ( 522982 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:00AM (#60175454)
    "Don't be excessively annoying, and don't be easily annoyed." the surprising thing is it worked relatively well...
    • by phantomfive ( 622387 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:51AM (#60175716) Journal
      This one doesn't say anything about "don't be easily annoyed." It has the first part, but not the second.
    • by rho ( 6063 )

      Things certainly were different when it took a certain type of person to get online. Having to learn the Hayes command set filtered out a lot of people. Similar to how a ham license required a Morse code test.

      I wonder how much improved the Internet would be if you could get kicked off for misusing apostrophes or confusing "their/they're".

    • by Megane ( 129182 )
      You must not have been on FidoNet for a while. The second rule was "don't be Too Easily Annoyed." (EA/TEA) And all this was in the early '90s, long before the current cancel culture bullshit.
  • by ardmhacha ( 192482 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:09AM (#60175506)

    http://www.wheatonslaw.com/ [wheatonslaw.com]

    Don't be a dick.

  • by jfdavis668 ( 1414919 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:10AM (#60175512)
    I want meetings where people disrespect each other and become resentful if they don't get their way.
  • by Proudrooster ( 580120 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:10AM (#60175516) Homepage

    Be Excellent to Each Another!
    -Bill and Ted [youtu.be]

  • by HotNeedleOfInquiry ( 598897 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:51AM (#60175718)
    A man walks into a bank, goes up to a teller and says "I'd like to open a fucking savings account". Teller says "Sir, you can't use that kind of language here" Man says "Just open the fucking account for me" Teller says, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you won't stop using that language" Bank manager hears the commotion, comes over and asks what the problem is. Man replies "I want to open a fucking savings account and deposit ten million dollars into it." Manager says "And this bitch won't help you?" The relevance of this joke to the Code of Conduct is left as an exercise for the reader.
  • You'd Think (Score:4, Insightful)

    by NicknameUnavailable ( 4134147 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @10:53AM (#60175730)
    That an OS with so many ongoing package and usability issues would have better things to spend their time on.
    • by hey! ( 33014 )

      Like dealing with assholery? You don't think that's disruptive? Every asshole think's his shit is ice cream, but it's really just shit.

      I once had to take over a team that was producing really bad software. It turned out the problem was just one disruptive asshole. He was convinced he was the only developer there who was any good, when in fact he was the only one that was *bad*. Once I got my boot firmly on his neck, the team's problems disappeared, but it was a huge waste of my time to keep him from anta

      • by gweihir ( 88907 )

        Well, classical Dunning-Kruger. It will be a problem as long as humans exist. Sometimes though, you have "assholes" that are unbelievably good at what the do and you want them to work on your stuff no matter what. That is why a CoC that drives these people away indiscriminately is a really bad idea. "Assholes" need to be analysed, classified and dealt with individually. And some just need somebody that cleans up behind them and they are still massively worth all the damage they cause. True, that is by far n

  • Now the real question is how do the plebes hold the admins accountable for enforcing these terms across the board and without bias or favor towards one group or another?
  • by Partack ptk ( 6070618 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @11:04AM (#60175792)
    - Be Polite
    - Be Efficient
    - Have a plan to kill everyone you meet
  • See subject.

  • 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... We have abuse!

    Who are we cancelling today?

  • Translation: "when we disagree, try to understand why you're wrong."

  • by Salo2112 ( 628590 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @12:10PM (#60176128)
    This would have been news if it had been OpenBSD posting this. :-)
  • This is always a bad combination.

    First, note that the seemingly "nice" policy is nothing but subjective blather; nothing is precisely defined and therefore nothing can be used in the future to measure objectively whether an individual has violated the policy nor whether the policy is being applied fairly and uniformly.

    Second, note what we are not being told:

    * Why is this policy suddenly needed after so many years of no policy at all? Could it be that in the new era of "wokeness" some people have asked for a

  • by julian67 ( 1022593 ) on Friday June 12, 2020 @01:59PM (#60176574)

    Why do you need a code of conduct when only 5 people are involved?

Our policy is, when in doubt, do the right thing. -- Roy L. Ash, ex-president, Litton Industries

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