[GHC DevOps Group] Guidelines

[Simon Peyton Jones]

Manuel

Do you think sufficient time elapsed to deem silence as consent?

Mind you, I doubt it's controversial, but I'd prefer members of the group to assent more explicitly.

Simon

| -----Original Message-----
| From: Manuel Chakravarty <manuel.chakravarty at tweag.io>
| Sent: 06 December 2018 16:05
| To: ghc-devops-group at haskell.org
| Cc: Simon Peyton Jones <simonpj at microsoft.com>
| Subject: Guidelines
| 
| Dear DevOps Group,
| 
| The GHC Steering Committee has recently decided to adopt a set of
| ”Guidelines for Respectful Communication” due to ongoing concern about the
| standards of discourse in the Haskell community:
| 
| 
| https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.co
| m%2Fghc-proposals%2Fghc-
| proposals%2Fblob%2Fmaster%2FGRC.rst&data=02%7C01%7Csimonpj%40microsoft.
| com%7Cbb8ab81f5d2049aa1d0508d65b949e3b%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7
| C1%7C0%7C636797091206572659&sdata=o9GqJGAt1QUF8ONgz8ASpBJj5%2Bq%2B3Ci4I
| IabuWVor9Y%3D&reserved=0
| 
| I’ll leave it to Simon PJ’s excellent explanation to lay out the detailed
| motivation:
| 
| > As many of you will know, I’ve been concerned for several years about the
| standards of discourse in the Haskell community.  I think things have
| improved since the period that drove me to write my Respect email
| <https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.has
| kell.org%2Fpipermail%2Fhaskell%2F2016-
| September%2F024995.html&data=02%7C01%7Csimonpj%40microsoft.com%7Cbb8ab8
| 1f5d2049aa1d0508d65b949e3b%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636
| 797091206572659&sdata=KJexexAL8iBGG3TvyqanRFt9OcSuK%2BR1COJboVhKfD0%3D&
| amp;reserved=0>, but it’s far from secure.
| >
| > I have thought about trying to introduce a code of conduct for the
| Haskell community, but (a) getting agreement about such a thing would be
| hard, (b) we have no credible enforcement mechanism and (c) some people
| disagree that it would even be helpful.
| >
| > I have also considered publishing a kind of personal code of conduct,
| describing the standards to which I hold myself (doubtless all too
| fallibly).  I was concerned that this would over-personalise the issue.
| >
| > In the light of all this, following discussion at ICFP, the GHC Steering
| Committee has decided to adopt these "Guidelines for Respectful
| Communication”.
| >
| > as a middle way.  We are adopting it for ourselves, not imposing it on
| others.  But in doing so we hope to give a clear lead to the community
| about the standards that we espouse for our professional dialogue.
| >
| > We deliberately decided to use the term “guidelines for respectful
| communication”, rather than “code of conduct”, for reasons that Stallman
| lays out in his recently-released GNU Kind Communications Guidelines:
| https://nam06.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flwn.net%2
| FArticles%2F769167%2F&data=02%7C01%7Csimonpj%40microsoft.com%7Cbb8ab81f
| 5d2049aa1d0508d65b949e3b%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C63679
| 7091206572659&sdata=Ac%2FPsmcP0T7AGBGfdb%2F9OKJbvb%2BnqNNDhfLAARk7daM%3
| D&reserved=0
| 
| In this context, it is important to note that the intention for these
| guidelines is to apply to us (the DevOps group members) with the intention
| of setting a good example and not to police the broader community, which we
| do not have the mandate to do anyway.
| 
| Personally, I am strongly in favour for us to follow the example of the GHC
| Steering Committee and to adopt the same rules, in order to project a
| uniform picture from all GHC committees.
| 
| Cheers,
| Manuel