Community Working Group posts: We Want Your Feedback on an Updated Drupal Code of Conduct

Posted on by Michael G

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Over the last few months, a group of Drupal community members from the Community Health Team have been working on updates to the Drupal Code of Conduct, with the assistance of a diverse group of community leaders and stakeholders from around the world.

The draft version of that updated Code of Conduct is now available for community review.

We are asking community members to provide constructive, actionable feedback in the Community Working Group’s issue queue or share their thoughts privately via this form between now and November 30.

Feedback will be reviewed by the Code of Conduct committee to inform any changes to the draft document before it is finalized and shared with the Community Working Group prior to adoption.

Why do we need to update the Drupal Code of Conduct?

The current Code of Conduct was adopted in 2010 and last revised in 2014. Over the last five years, the Community Working Group (CWG), which is responsible for maintaining the document, has received consistent feedback that the Code of Conduct should be updated so that it is clearer and more actionable:

  • A set of recommendations for improving the Code of Conduct was shared as one of the high-level findings from the community discussions facilitated by Whitney Hess in April and May 2017.
  • 63% of respondents to a community governance survey held in July 2017 said that updating our Code of Conduct should be prioritized as part of the process of overhauling community governance.
  • Improving the community Code of Conduct so that it is clearer and more actionable was also one of the key takeaways of the community governance discussions that occurred in the fall of 2017.
  • In the spring of 2019, the CWG solicited feedback from community members about the current Code of Conduct and what steps should be taken to review and update it. The conclusions of that survey echoed earlier community feedback:
    • Respondents were overwhelmingly glad that Drupal has a code of conduct and liked its positive language
    • They felt that the current Code of Conduct is not specific enough when it comes to anti-harassment language, scope, and consequences
    • When it came to updating the Code of Conduct, respondents wanted the CWG to include members of Drupal Diversity and Inclusion, as well as camp organizers and other consultants.

What changes are in the updated Drupal Code of Conduct draft?

Overall

  • All new and existing copy has been reviewed for readability and rewritten to use plain language wherever possible.
  • Section headers have been reworded to provide more context.
  • Examples of positive and unacceptable behaviors have been added to each section. These may be put in expandable fieldsets in order to improve readability.
  • Instructions for reporting Code of Conduct violations are now broken out as a separate sidebar to make them easier for people to find.

Introduction

  • The introduction has been rewritten to make it more consistent with Drupal’s Values and Principles.
  • A pledge to welcome and support people of all backgrounds and identities has been added
  • An explanation of what the Code of Conduct covers, who it applies to, and where it is enforced has been added
  • An explanation of the consequences of violating the Code of Conduct has been added

We are considerate of the needs of others (formerly “Be considerate”)

  • A recognition that community members communicate in different ways and use different languages has been added
  • A reminder that community members should be valued equally whether they are volunteers or paid to participate in the community has been added

We treat each other with respect, even when we disagree (formerly “Be respectful”)

  • Language on resolving disagreements has been moved from “When we disagree we consult others” into this section

We are collaborative (formerly “Be Collaborative”)

  • Language that community members should take responsibility for the impact of their words and actions has been added
  • A reminder to listen to others and keep an open mind has been added.

We do not tolerate abusive behavior (formerly ”When we disagree, we consult others”)

  • Language about disagreements and conflict resolution has been moved into “We are collaborative”.
  • Added language that taking action against harassment and abuse is a shared responsibility.
  • Added language clarifying how the Conflict Resolution Team reviews and responds to incident reports

We ask for help when we need it (formerly “When we are unsure, we ask for help”)

  • Added language about documenting work
  • Added language that contributors may not always have time to answer questions
  • Added language about reviewing existing documentation before asking for support
  • Added language about updating inaccurate or outdated documentation

We step down considerately (formerly “Step down considerately”)

  • Added language about being being able to take a break or step away
  • Added language about leaving things better than we found them

We are here for each other (new section)

  • Reiterates shared commitment to a diverse, welcoming, and inclusive community.

Who was involved in developing the updated Code of Conduct draft?

This effort was led by a group of Community Health Team members:

This group also involved a number of community stakeholders in the process including the full membership of the Community Health Team, and over a dozen other community leaders including members of Drupal Diversity and Inclusion, the Event Organizers Working, the Drupal Security Team, and past and present Drupal Association staff members. These community members were asked to provide feedback based on their personal perspectives and experiences, not on behalf of their affiliated groups or teams.

The group also solicited feedback on draft versions of the document from community members based in different areas of the world, including North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

What process was followed to create the Code of Conduct draft?

The group began with a chartering exercise to define shared goals, measures of success, opportunities, and constraints. A timeline was then created with key milestones, divided into two-week sprints.

The group then identified a set of existing open source codes of conduct to review along with the existing Drupal CoC. Different CoCs were assigned to different team members to identify their distinct elements (e.g., “examples of positive and negative behaviors”, “statement of scope”, “enforcement expectations”). The group met to discuss the different elements and voted on which ones they felt were “must haves” “should haves” and “nice to haves” for an updated Drupal CoC. The text of those elements was then collated into a single document and shared with community stakeholders for review and comment.

Following the initial review of that document, the group then worked to create an initial draft using clear and consistent language. This draft was shared with community stakeholders for review and went through multiple rounds of revision based on their feedback.

Updates were posted to the Drupal Community Working Group’s blog throughout the process.

What’s next?

Following the community review period, the group will meet to review all feedback and determine what changes need to be made to the draft document before it is finalized.

The finalized draft will then be shared with the CWG’s Conflict Resolution Team, which is responsible for maintaining the Drupal Code of Conduct and related documentation. They will consult with others and make any final changes before updating the Code of Conduct page on Drupal.org with the updated copy.

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