Open Source doesn't work without the people who make the software happen. The governance project is putting people first and doing its best to recognize, appreciate, and respect the diversity of our global contributor base. We welcome contributions from all qualified (through contribution or prior experience) people who want to contribute in a healthy and constructive manner.
These guidelines aim to support bootstrapping our governance structure, and as such all who can, should feel safe to participate regardless of background, family status, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, plurality, native language, age, race/ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, geographic location, education, disability, otherkin status, or other aspects of diversity.
We value each others ideas and viewpoints. We are open to different possibilities and being wrong. We are aware of our impact and how interactions will affect others. We communicate in a direct, constructive, and positive way. We take responsibility for our impact and our mistakes - if someone says that they have been harmed by our words or actions, we stop, listen, and then apologize sincerely and change behavior.
As an open source project we are building on the work of, and building for, other people. In governance we are building for the builders and for the users. We need to be mindful of the needs of those who will be impacted by our work, demonstrating patience, kindness, and understanding. We think about the impact of our decisions on others and ensure to bring in diverse perspectives and make inclusive choices. We understand that the emphasis is on ensuring that even minoritised groups feel safe in our spaces.
When we need clarity, we ask questions simply and directly. We understand that contributors may not have the time to answer every question, and before asking we review existing documentation to see if we can find the answer.
We understand that not everybody has done this type of work before, or has the same knowledge and experience. We aim to document our work so that all may benefit from the experience that we do have.
Everyone is responsible for preventing and taking action against abusive behavior. We speak up when we see others engaging in negative behavior and bring in moderation as necessary to resolve problems.
There are many types of abusive behavior, and it’s impossible to list them exhaustively, but some are defined below to help level set. Ultimately, the "Nix community governance Zulip" moderation team decides what is acceptable and unacceptable conduct.
Hurtful or harmful language related to:
- Background
- Family status
- Gender
- Gender identity or expression
- Plurality
- Marital status
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Native language
- Age
- Ability
- Race and/or ethnicity
- National origin
- Socioeconomic status
- Religion
- Geographic location
- Other attributes
is not acceptable. This includes deliberately referring to someone by a gender that they do not identify with, and/or questioning the legitimacy of an individual’s gender identity. If you’re unsure if a word is derogatory, don’t use it. This also includes repeated subtle and/or indirect discrimination; when asked to stop, stop the behavior in question.
Disrupting the proceedings will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Bad faith invitations to engage in debate, regardless of the pretense of civility.
- Attempting to use the specific wording of rules documents without referencing or understanding their spirit.
- Influencing outside communities to cause hostility towards participants.
- Reducing a discussion to one of a country’s political system. We are a global group with different perspectives. We are not more or less valuable based on the system we grew up with.
We will treat influencing or leading such activities the same way we treat the activities themselves, and thus the same consequences apply.
Violence and threats of violence are not acceptable - online or offline. This includes incitement of violence toward any individual, including encouraging a person to commit self-harm. This also includes posting or threatening to post other people’s personally identifying information (“doxxing”) online.
Conflicts will inevitably arise, but frustration should never turn into a personal attack. It is not okay to insult, demean or belittle others. Attacking someone for their opinions, beliefs and ideas is not acceptable. It is important to speak directly when we disagree and when we think we need to improve, but such discussions must be conducted respectfully and professionally, remaining focused on the issue at hand.