Fixes #1651 - adding Code of Conduct

[zoepage]

r? @miketaylr

[miketaylr]

Thank you!

Can you add a link to this doc in README.md in the Contributing section somewhere?

https://github.com/webcompat/webcompat.com/#contributing

[miketaylr]

FYI @webcompat/core-developers.

[tagawa]

Added a few grammatical comments.

Re. the reporting procedure, wouldn't it be better to have a general inbox (e.g. [email protected] or similar) rather than a single personal address?

[denschub]

@tagawa you should probably file language-related issues upstream at https://github.com/ContributorCovenant/contributor_covenant, although I can recall at least some of your points being discussed before, and it turns out those were perfectly legal and "more right" when watched from a linguistic point of view.

I'm torn between having a generic inbox vs. having a person who is responsible for handling complains. I've heard questions in the past if mails end up on a public mailing list or people being concerned about who can rad complain mails, which isn't really an issue if there is a dedicated person, since people know this is the only person who will have direct access to the mail. No objection against trusting @zoepage with that job from my side.

Also, thanks for doing this. ❤️

[zoepage]

@tagawa Thanks! I agree with @denschub on filing issues. :)

re:general address
I've added a single person (me) on purpose as a generic contact information is faceless and people tend to not report issues, especially people who get harassed, if they don't see, if they can trust the other side they report to. Not that people think, I'm the most trustworthy person ever, but a face makes things more familiar and puts in more trust. In addition having a female handle those issues is also a plus from a psychological way.

@denschub ofc <3

[tagawa]

Thanks for the comments about upstream changes. I'll take a look at the main project and see what the past discussions were.

I see your point about a personal address seeming more welcoming than a generic address, and I also agree that it mustn't be a public mailing list. This could perhaps be made clear in note in the Code of Conduct. I also have no doubts or prejudices regarding any of the WebCompat team to act as the point of contact. My concerns are:

• What happens if that person goes on holiday or is taken ill? You could redirect mails to someone else's mailbox but then the sender wouldn't know. Alternatively you could change the Code of Conduct temporarily but it's a hassle and liable to be forgotten.
• There's a (hopefully low) chance that a serious complaint is raised with legal implications. To be well prepared, it's sensible to have oversight by a second person from the very start to offer maximum protection. It also avoids the need for human judgement about whether to forward an issue or not.

Incidentally, I don't think we should be making generalisations about which gender is preferable for the point of contact, as this depends on the individual filing a complaint. Probably best to not make assumptions about people's preferences. A compromise might be to set up a mailbox with a neutral human name, e.g. [email protected] but that could be seen as deceptive.

Anyway, there are pros and cons to both approaches so interested to hear other opinions.

[zoepage]

@tagawa

I also have no doubts or prejudices regarding any of the WebCompat team to act as the point of contact.

I agree. What about we add @denschub as a second person as he is also very experienced in CoC matters? Would also solve the holiday / legal issue.

Incidentally, I don't think we should be making generalisations about which gender is preferable for the point of contact, as this depends on the individual filing a complaint.

This is not a generalization or assumptions, but drawn from my experience being a CoC person for years in the FLOSS community. As the most reports (from my experience and from studies I've read > 95%) come from non "cis males", it should be safe to assume a female person as point of contact is crucial those incidents get reported.

As such matters can be very delicate and in the "wrong hands" create a really hurtful backlash to the reporters professional as well as personal life, it is important to create a safe space for everyone and build a base of trust. When those who report know, who they are reporting to and can even do a bit of research for that person on the web, to make sure the person is trustworthy, it will increase the chance of getting a report immensely.

This is why, I'd also not just add the email adress, but also the GitHub handle to the CoC.

[miketaylr]

@tagawa you should probably file language-related issues upstream at https://github.com/ContributorCovenant/contributor_covenant, although I can recall at least some of your points being discussed before, and it turns out those were perfectly legal and "more right" when watched from a linguistic point of view.

I think we can pull in @tagawa's suggested edits in the meantime.

[miketaylr]

Also, if @denschub agrees, I think it's preferable to have 2 contacts.

[denschub]

No objections, have been doing the same in other projects for quite a while now.

[zoepage]

Added suggested changes.

[miketaylr]

Thanks @zoepage!