Diversity

*** This page is structured to show a number of options for building a Code of Conduct / Diversity statement, in order to help the OSGeo community agree on the best version. It is currently [March 2015] a work in progress.***

Goals for Code of Conduct / Diversity Statement

Recognise that OSGeo has a DIVERSE community. (From Draft OSGeo Diversity Statement, and others)
Set expectation that people should act RESPECTFULLY toward each other. It is ok to respectfully disagree with people's technical ideas without attacking them personally. (From Draft OSGeo Diversity Statement, and others)
Make it clear that we don't condone harassment or offensive behaviour, and make it clear what that is. (From O'Reilly Code of Conduct and others)
Outline a process for IDENTIFYING, REPORTING and ADDRESSING incidents which can be referenced by those dealing with incidents. Dealing with incidents is often a hostile situation, and having a process to reference can greatly help the people doing the hard job of mediating. (Derived from Tweaking the Moral UI)
Identify the ROLE of the person, or group of people responsible for ensuring the process will be followed.
Include an escalation process for dealing with both minor and major issues. (From Draft OSGeo Conference Committee Code of Conduct)
Couch in positive, non-threatening language. (See QGIS Diversity Statement and Code of Conduct)
Recognise that not all participants will be native (English?) speakers and native speakers should adjust language chosen to make it easier for all participants to contribute. Eg: Try to avoid using slang. (From OGC Principles of Conduct)
Be concise. Concise words get read more. (See QGIS Diversity Statement)

Questions

Question: Title?

Should this statement be called a "Diversity Statement" or a "Code of Conduct" or should we create two documents? A Diversity Statement and Code of Conduct could have different purposes. Having one document makes it easier to reference from OSGeo projects or events.

Votes

"Diversity Statement"

"Code of Conduct"

Cameron Shorter: While I like the concept of the word "Diversity", I think it is currently confusing in "Diversity Statement" as a heading. "Diversity" is broad in meaning, and can mean Diversity in software choice, food selection, processes followed, etc, etc. We should select a heading relevant to what is being described - which is an expectation of "behaviour" or "conduct". "Code of Conduct", "Principles of Conduct" better describe what should be covered. I feel it is better to have just one document (which has a brief introduction, which expands in content, as it is easier to reference one document from external projects and events.
Eli Adam: To me this is more about behavior or conduct so I vote for "Code of Conduct". Separating into two different documents with two different aims and names might be cleaner and make what to call it irrelevant.

Two documents: "Diversity Statement" as well as a "Code of Conduct"

Question: Identify discriminated groups?

Many versions of the Code of Conduct identify a range of discriminated groups: race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national origin, ethnicity, religion. The QGIS Diversity statement simplifies to: "The QGIS Project welcomes and encourages participation by everyone. No matter how you identify yourself or how others perceive you: we welcome you." Which is better?

Votes

"List discriminated groups"

"QGIS version - "No matter how you identify yourself or how others perceive you: we welcome you"

Cameron Shorter

Question: Do we note need to support non-native language speakers?

The OGC Principles of Conduct acknowledges that we should speak clearly and avoid slang to make it easier for non-native (English) speakers. Should this be included?

Votes

Include language statement

Cameron Shorter

Don't include language statement

Exemplar Sources

Draft OSGeo Board Diversity Statement

Diversity and the OSGeo Foundation

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) supports diversity in the community: OSGeo community members can safely interact, contribute, share, learn, and be respected for who they are. OSGeo is a large, international organisation made up of members with different cultural, historical, and linguistic backgrounds. Diversity involves acceptance and respect for these differences and more, including ethnicity, race, cultural traditions, religious expressions, age, gender, socio‐economic status, mental or physical ability, and sexual orientation. OSGeo strives to foster growth and innovation in the geospatial industry, and diversity must be respected to reach this goal.

Where Diversity Applies in OSGeo

Diversity and its acceptance applies to everything that OSGeo does including mailing lists, projects, documentation, language in code comments, code sprints, and events.

Feedback and Concerns

OSGeo is a worldwide organization. People converging in the organization have different cultures and background. In some cultures, some behaviors are considered normal, whereas in other cultures might result as disrespectful and offensive. Before getting offended from other people's behavior, consider that there could be a misunderstanding in the communication. Ask yourself if you really think that the other person meant to be disrespectful towards you. Translation is also a common cause of misunderstanding.

Most people in the organization speak English as a second language, and it is possible that they do not always use the language with accuracy or in the way you would.

If you are in an unpleasant situation where one person's behaviour is causing discomfort to you or someone else, consider one or more of these options:

Raise a direct protest against the person who is causing your discomfort: talk to each other.
Ask friends or others there directly for help - you are never alone, others will always help you.
Contact event staff, members of the local organizing committee (LOC), or volunteers.
Contact anybody from the OSGeo Board of Directors either personally or by email, private and in confidence, at board-priv(at)osgeo(dot)org.
You may also contact the President of OSGeo directly at president(at)osgeo(dot)org.
If you think it is appropriate, contact event security staff or local law enforcement.

Source

http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php?title=Diversity&oldid=82976

Original Briefer Source

http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php?title=Diversity&oldid=81445

Comments

Draft OSGeo Conference Committee Code of Conduct

Tickbox version:

I agree to act respectfully toward others in line with the OSGeo Code of Conduct.

OSGeo Code of Conduct:

This Code of Conduct collates the collective values adopted by our OSGeo community which baselines the behaviour we do and don’t support to ensure OSGeo is a safe and productive environment for all.

We invite everyone to be respectful to all, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national origin, ethnicity, religion, or ideas. We do not tolerate harassment of others in any form. Examples of harassment include offensive comments, verbal threats or demands, sexualized images in public spaces, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention.

We expect all participants to follow the Code of Conduct when involved in OSGeo activities. This includes conferences, related social events, and online forums. Participants violating this Code of Conduct will be asked to desist and/or make amends. For gross or continual violations, offenders may be expelled from the event or forum without a refund, and/or banned from future events or other forums.

Participants are encouraged to bring any concerns to the attention of event staff, the forum, forum leader, or OSGeo Board. We thank all for helping keep OSGeo welcoming, respectful, and friendly for all.

Source: http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/2015-January/002851.html, 16 January 2015
Comments

QGIS Diversity Statement

The QGIS Project welcomes and encourages participation by everyone.

No matter how you identify yourself or how others perceive you: we welcome you. We welcome contributions from everyone as long as they interact constructively with our community.

While much of the work for our project is technical in nature, we value and encourage contributions from those with expertise in other areas, and welcome them into our community.

Source: http://qgis.org/en/site/getinvolved/governance/codeofconduct/diversitystatement.html
Second Source: https://qgis2015.wordpress.com/, downloaded 24 March 2015

Comments

PRO: States acceptance of diversity without singling out all the possible variants of diversity (race, religion, gender, ...)
PRO: Concise.
CON: Doesn't cover other Code of Conduct items, such as what is/is not acceptable.

QGIS Code of Conduct

Like the technical community as a whole, the QGIS team and community is made up of a mixture of professionals and volunteers from all over the world, working on every aspect of the mission - including mentorship, teaching, and connecting people.

Diversity is one of our huge strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and unhappiness. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to when they’re participating within this community and project. These rules apply equally to founders, mentors and those seeking help and guidance.

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 enrich all of us and the technical communities in which we participate.

This code of conduct applies to all spaces managed by the QGIS project. This includes IRC, the mailing lists, the issue tracker, DSF events, and any other forums created by the project team which the community uses for communication.

If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing psc @ qgis org.

Be welcoming, friendly, and patient

Be considerate

Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect users and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions. Remember that we’re a world-wide community, so you might not be communicating in someone else’s primary language.

Be respectful

Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the QGIS community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the QGIS community.

Be careful in the words that you choose

We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren’t acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:

Violent threats or language directed against another person.

Sexist, racist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.

Posting sexually explicit or violent material.

Posting (or threatening to post) other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”).

Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.

Unwelcome sexual attention.

Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.

Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.

When we disagree, try to understand why

Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time and QGIS is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of QGIS comes from its varied community, people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere, rather offer to help resolving issues and to help learn from mistakes.

Original text courtesy of the Speak Up! project, and Django Code of conduct

If you have questions, feel free to contact us: psc qgis org

Source: http://qgis.org/en/site/getinvolved/governance/codeofconduct/codeofconduct.html

Comments

PRO: Written in positive language
CON: Too verbose

O'Reilly Code of Conduct

At O'Reilly, we assume that most people are intelligent and well-intended, and we're not inclined to tell people what to do. However, we want every O'Reilly conference to be a safe and productive environment for everyone. To that end, this code of conduct spells out the behavior we support and don't support at conferences. The core of our approach is this:

We don't condone harassment or offensive behavior, at our conference venues or anywhere. It's counter to our company values. More importantly, it's counter to our values as human beings.

We're voicing our strong, unequivocal support of appropriate behavior by all participants at technical events, including all O'Reilly conferences. We invite you to help us make each O'Reilly conference a place that is welcoming and respectful to all participants, regardless of race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, national origin, ethnicity, or religion. So that everyone can focus on the conference itself, and the great networking and community richness that happens when we get together in person, we will not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form—in person or online.

Examples of harassment include offensive comments, verbal threats or demands, sexualized images in public spaces, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of sessions or events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention.

We expect all participants—attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers—to follow the Code of Conduct during the conference. This includes conference-related social events at off-site locations, and in related online communities and social media. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. Conference participants violating this Code of Conduct may be expelled from the conference without a refund, and/or banned from future O'Reilly events, at the discretion of O'Reilly Media.

Please bring any concerns to the immediate attention of the event staff, or contact our VP of Conferences, Gina Blaber at gina at oreilly com. We thank our participants for your help in keeping the event welcoming, respectful, and friendly to all participants.

Read the blog post by Tim O'Reilly that is the basis of our functional code of conduct for all O'Reilly conferences.

Thanks to the Lean Startup folks and the jsconf.us folks, whose Codes of Conduct inspired some changes to our own.

Source: http://www.oreilly.com/conferences/code-of-conduct.html, downloaded 24 March 2015
Comments

CON: This is missing a description of graduated escalation process, and how a report would be handled.
PRO: It makes good use of positive language

OGC Principles of Conduct

1. Abstract

This document outlines the Principles of Conduct that shall govern personal and public interactions in any OGC activity The Principles recognize the diversity of OGC process participants, emphasize the value of mutual respect, and stress the broad applicability of our work. A separate section of the Policies and Procedures details consequences that may occur if the Principles of Conduct are violated.

2. Introduction

The work of the OGC relies on cooperation among a broad cultural diversity of peoples, ideas, and communication styles. The Principles for Conduct guide our interactions as we work together to develop multiple, interoperable technologies, solutions, and interface specifications that support data, application, and services interoperability in the geospatial domain. All OGC process participants aim to abide by these Principles as we build consensus in person, at OGC meetings, in teleconferences, and in e-mail. If conflicts arise, we resolve them according to the procedures outlined in the OGC TC and IP Policies and Procedures.

3. OGC Principles of Conduct:

a. OGC process participants extend respect and courtesy to their colleagues at all times.

OGC process participants come from diverse origins and backgrounds and are equipped with multiple capabilities and ideals. Regardless of these individual differences, participants treat their colleagues with respect as persons--especially when it is difficult to agree with them. Seeing from another's point of view is often revealing, even when it fails to be compelling.

English is the de facto language used for all OGC processes, communication, and documentation. However, English is not the native language of many OGC process participants. Native English speakers will attempt to speak clearly and a bit slowly and to limit the use of slang in order to accommodate the needs of all listeners.

b. OGC process participants develop and test ideas impartially, without finding fault with the colleague proposing the idea.

We dispute ideas by using reasoned argument, rather than through intimidation or ad hominem attack. Or, said in a somewhat more consensus-like way:

"Reduce the heat and increase the light"

c. OGC process participants think globally, devising solutions that meet the needs of diverse technical and operational environments.

The goal of the OGC is to maintain and enhance a working, viable, scalable, global set of interfaces and protocols that provide a framework for interoperability in the geospatial domain. Many of the problems we encounter are genuinely very difficult. OGC participants use their best engineering judgment to find the best solution for the whole domain of geospatial interoperability, not just the best solution for any particular network, technology, vendor, or user. We follow the Intellectual Property Principles outlined in http://portal.opengeospatial.org/files/?artifact_id=23145.

d. Individuals who attend OGC facilitated meetings are prepared to contribute to the ongoing work of the membership and the organization.

OGC participants who attend OGC meetings will make their best effort to read the relevant Pending Documents, RFCs, and e-mail archives beforehand, in order to familiarize themselves with the technology under discussion. This may represent a challenge for newcomers, as e-mail archives can be difficult to locate and search, and it may not be easy to trace the history of longstanding Domain Working Group, Standards Working Group, Sub-committees, or Initiative debates. With that in mind, newcomers who attend OGC meetings are encouraged to observe and absorb whatever material they can, but should not interfere with the ongoing process of the group. OGC meetings run on a very limited time schedule, and are not intended for the education of individuals. The work of the group will continue on the mailing list, and many questions would be better expressed on the list in the months that follow.

4. Acknowledgements

OGC wishes to acknowledge the work done by the IETF on a code of conduct (specifically RFC 3184). The OGC principles of conduct are modeled on their work.

Source: http://www.opengeospatial.org/ogc/policies/conduct
Comments

PRO: Recognises the need to be inclusive, by making allowances for people who are not speaking in their native language.
PRO: Encourages people to debate and potentially disagree on ideas, without attacking people personally.
CON: Too verbose.

FOSS4G 2015 NA and FOSS4G 2015 Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We are expecting cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe environment for everybody.

The Quick Version

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter and other online media. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

The Less Quick Version

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. A member of the conference staff will be at the registration desk during conference hours.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.

Source

https://2015.foss4g-na.org/code-conduct, downloaded 24 March 2015, derived from others, like: http://jsconf.com/codeofconduct.html.

Similar Source

http://2015.foss4g.org/about/codeofconduct/ FOSS4G-NA 2015 and the main international FOSS4G are using very similar CoCs. Text copied from NA.

Comments

PRO: Starts with a tick-box version which can be used during registration of an event.
CON: Language has interpreted by some as confrontational, and could be interpreted as implying assumption of guilt.
CON: It would be better if this statement could be made shorter.

Further References

Tweaking the Moral UI by CHRISTINA WODTKE, http://alistapart.com/article/tweaking-the-moral-ui, downloaded 24 March 2015

Draft Statement

Tickbox version:

I agree to act respectfully toward others in line with the OSGeo Code of Conduct.

OSGeo Code of Conduct

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) embraces the diversity, ideals and capabilities of our community. No matter how you identify yourself or how others perceive you: we welcome you and your constructive input into our community.

We are regularly debating and refining ideas. We don't always agree. When we disagree we treat each other with respect as people.

We have a multi-lingual community and are considerate toward non-native speakers, such as by speaking clearly and avoiding slang.

Within our events and online forums, we do not accept harassment such as offensive comments, verbal threats or demands, sexualized images in public spaces, intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention. People breaking this Code of Conduct will be asked to desist and/or make amends. For gross or continual violations, offenders may be expelled from the event or forum by event organisors, or forum leaders.

Participants are encouraged to bring any concerns to the attention of event staff, the forum, forum leader, or OSGeo Board to be addressed. We thank all for helping keep OSGeo welcoming, respectful, and friendly for all.