GNU Kind Communication Guidelines
Lest you think this is yet another CoC, the guidelines assure you that they are not a CoC.
Announcing the GNU Kind Communication Guidelines
The GNU Kind Communication Guidelines, initial version, have been published in https://gnu.org/philosophy/kind-communication.html. On behalf of the GNU Project, I ask all GNU contributors to make their best efforts to follow these guidelines in GNU Project discuaaions[sic].
[ . . . ] The difference between kind communication guidelines and a code of conduct is a matter of the basic overall approach.
A code of conduct states rules, with punishments for anyone that violates them.
[...] The idea of the GNU Kind Communication Guidelines is to start guiding people towards kinder communication at a point well before one would even think of saying, "You are breaking the rules." The way we do this, rather than ordering people to be kind or else, is try to help people learn to make their communication more kind.
[ . . . . ] I disagree with making "diversity" a goal. If the developers in a specific free software project do not include demographic D, I don't think that the lack of them as a problem that requires action
The best way to avoid conflict and encourage diversity is to force everyone to voluntarily think alike.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Snospar on Monday October 29 2018, @02:51PM (4 children)
No, we shouldn't be "forcing" anyone to do anything - our thoughts are very much our own and one of the last places where we have real freedom to think what we like.
We should of course be "encouraging" people to think before they speak and treat those around them with some respect - even when they disagree with your own point of view.
Huge thanks to all the Soylent volunteers without whom this community (and this post) would not be possible.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @03:00PM
That's generally what these kind communications are going for from the sounds of it. You can essentially sum them up to "Think before you speak like an asshole."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @03:13PM
Doesn't sound like respect to me. But everybody's different.
Or maybe not anymore.
Glad I'm no longer involved.
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Monday October 29 2018, @04:14PM
And, indeed, the whole point of the "Kind Communication Guidelines" is to not force, and rather to encourage.
The editorial misreading that summarizes "rather than ordering people to be kind or else, is try to help people learn" as "forcing" and completely miscasting it as something it's not is due either to deliberate pot-stirring or simple incompetence; the reader may decide which.
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Monday October 29 2018, @10:45PM
Oh yeah? How about instead we select out 3/4 of the population and call them special and Important while we tell the rest of the (shrinking) demographic to sit down, shut up, and listen to what the special people have to say. How about we do that instead?