Why We Need Codes of Conduct -- and Why They're Not Enough - Aeva Black, Microsoft
Channel: The Linux Foundation
Date: 2022-10-08

Why We Need Codes of Conduct -- and Why They're Not Enough - Aeva Black, Microsoft

Standard business approaches to interpersonal risk management (such as “just let HR handle it” and “don’t do anything that could make us liable”) do not translate effectively to open source community management, where liability extends outside organizational authority and interpersonal dynamics are fundamentally different. Conversely, ignoring community health leads to poor -- sometimes catastrophic -- outcomes for technical projects, and ultimately an increase in business risk in your software supply chain. In this talk, Aeva will examine difficult topics related to Code of Conduct enforcement in large and diverse contributor communities. They will discuss what it means to shape a community through a values-driven approach to leadership, and provide concrete suggestions for open source projects -- and their corporate sponsors -- which can improve community health and diversity. These suggestions will be based on real examples, though all identifying details will be anonymized to maintain the confidentiality of those involved.