Re: [Debconf-team] DebConf anti-harassment policy
On Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:30:30 +0100, Daniel Kahn Gillmor <dkg@fifthhorseman.net> wrote:
On 12/02/2010 05:19 AM, Richard Darst wrote:
http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment_policy
What are your thoughts on adopting some sort of thing? I think it's a
good idea, and we can leave the adaptation and posting to some team
who takes it on and reports back to us.
Thanks for bringing this up, Richard. I also think this is a good idea
for DebConf.
Building an attitude against harrassment, and showing it in public,
is a good thing. I have three remarks, though:
1) I suggest that the scope and meaning of "harrassment" can be
kept simple and limited, and fairly neutral. By neutral I mean
_not enumerating_ specially protected groups, but rather
addressing the issue of singling out someone for _what they are_.
I.e. personal attacks are frowned upon, and personal attacks
singling out someone for what they are is really not OK.
(You can come up with a better wording, I'm sure! :-)
2) Social rules are not quite like the rules of Debian packaging
policy manual. They are highly context sensitive, and have to
refer a lot to concepts of decency and common sense. If you try
to define them unambiguously, you end up throwing out a lot of
common sense. So you need rules that are open to interpretation,
and wise rulers that have a strong integrity.
The policy should reflect the prevalent attitudes within the
Debian community, not what we wish the attitudes were like.
This may require the scope and ambition of the policy to be
pruned a bit.
3) Supporting the ones who feel awkward, insulted or threatened
may be more fruitful than fighting their foes. Context is key,
as what feels threating in one environment can be downright
hilarious in another. Fighting trolls will satisfy the trolls
more than their victims, I'm afraid.
--
Herman Robak
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