React Finland
Which Code of Conduct?
There’s a samurai if you look closely
Behavior is a tricky topic. What might be considered normal in one culture, might be considered rude in some other one.
Culture is your operating system — Terence McKenna
What does this have to do with a conference like React Finland? We will have attendees with varied cultural backgrounds. To get most out of a conference, you should feel safe. For this reason, many conferences implement a code of conduct (CoC).
A CoC exists to:
- Make sure there are boundaries for acceptable behavior.
- Allow the organizers to handle violations related to this behavior.
The bigger question is, what’s acceptable behavior. Where to draw the limits?
Perhaps the question is a red herring. A CoC is more about providing a release valve. If people feel they are being harassed, there should be a mechanism to help deal with it. Then dialogue can begin and everyone involved can learn about what went wrong.
So Which CoC to Choose?#
We still haven’t chosen a CoC for React Finland. Multiple options exist and I’ve listed a few below:
- Conference Code of Conduct
- Berlin Code of Conduct
- ReactVienna Code of Conduct
- Clojutre Code of Conduct
Personally, I would rather stick with something simple that’s straight to the point. I would phrase it like this: “If you feel you are being harassed or observe what might be construed as such, contact the organizers.”
Would that be enough or should we pick a heavier such as one linked above? How can we guarantee people spend their time studying the details when a simple guideline might do the same trick?