[llvm-dev] RFC: Introducing an LLVM Community Code of Conduct

[Chandler Carruth via llvm-dev]

Greetings everyone,

On behalf of the board of the LLVM Foundation, I’d like to start the
process of introducing a formal code of conduct for the community.

For a long time, various members of the community have been enforcing basic
reasonable and respectful behavior, but to an outsider this may not be
obvious. A public code of conduct advertises the behavior we expect of
community members and clarifies our stance. Having this is something the
board feels very strongly about and we know many others in the community do
as well. We also think it is important that we establish this prior to the
upcoming developer meeting.

When researching this for the board, I looked at a large number of example
codes of conduct from various conferences and communities, and I kept
coming back to the Django Project’s code of conduct which I think is an
extremely good fit for the LLVM community (several other open source
projects have ended up using it as well). I have adapted it for our
community and our needs, and have a text version below.

Some important considerations:
- It covers all of the different ways our community has of interacting, not
just a mailing list or the conference.
- It makes very clear the kinds of conduct that are unacceptable, which in
research has proven to be very important for such codes of conduct to be
effective in practice.
- It has specific instructions for reporting violations and gives those who
report issues reasonable expectations for what the response will be. Again,
in my research this has been identified as being a very important aspect to
making a code of conduct effective in practice.
- It does not try to be pedantic or have an overly complex set of rules.

We think that this strikes a good balance and would like to propose the
following document for the LLVM project. Once all the comments are
addressed, we plan to add it to the LLVM documentation and link to it from
relevant places. The “Reporting Guidelines” will be a separate (linked)
document for folks to reference if needed. We will also start the process
of forming and organizing an advisory committee to handle these kinds of
issues.

-Chandler, on behalf of the board


----
# LLVM Community Code of Conduct #
We want to ensure that the LLVM community, while large and diverse, remains
welcoming and respectful to all participants. To that end, we have a few
ground rules that we ask people to adhere to.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do. Rather, take it
in the spirit in which it’s intended - a guide to make it easier to
communicate and participate in the community.

This code of conduct applies to all spaces managed by the LLVM project or
The LLVM Foundation. This includes IRC channels, mailing lists, bug
trackers, LLVM events such as the developer meetings and socials, and any
other forums created by the project that the community uses for
communication. It applies to all of your communication and conduct in these
spaces, including emails, chats, things you say, slides, videos, posters,
signs, or even t-shirts you display in these spaces. In addition,
violations of this code outside these spaces may affect a person's ability
to participate within them.

If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you
report it by emailing conduct at llvm.org. For more details please see our
Reporting Guidelines.

- *Be friendly and patient.*

- *Be welcoming.* We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports
people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited
to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour,
immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex,
sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family
status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.

- *Be considerate.* Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn
will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect users
and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when
making decisions. Remember that we're a world-wide community, so you might
not be communicating in someone else's primary language.

- *Be respectful.* Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement
is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners. We might all experience
some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn
into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where
people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of
the LLVM community should be respectful when dealing with other members as
well as with people outside the LLVM community.

- *Be careful in the words that you choose.* We are a community of
professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others.
Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other
exclusionary behavior aren't acceptable. This includes, but is not limited
to:
  - Violent threats or language directed against another person.
  - Discriminatory jokes and language.
  - Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
  - Posting (or threatening to post) other people's personally identifying
information ("doxing").
  - Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.
  - Unwelcome sexual attention.
  - Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
  - Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop,
then stop.

- *When we disagree, try to understand why.* Disagreements, both social and
technical, happen all the time and LLVM is no exception. It is important
that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember
that we’re different. The strength of LLVM comes from its varied community,
people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different
perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a
viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to
err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on
helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.

## Questions? ##
If you have questions, please see feel free to contact the LLVM Foundation
Code of Conduct Advisory Committee by emailing conduct at llvm.org.


(This text is based on the Django Project Code of Conduct, which is in turn
based on wording from the Speak Up! project.)

----
# Reporting Guide #
If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct we ask that you
report it to the LLVM Foundation by emailing conduct at llvm.org. *All reports
will be kept confidential.* In some cases we may determine that a public
statement will need to be made. If that's the case, the identities of all
victims and reporters will remain confidential unless those individuals
instruct us otherwise.

If you believe anyone is in physical danger, please notify appropriate law
enforcement first. If you are unsure what law enforcement agency is
appropriate, please include this in your report and we will attempt to
notify them.

If the violation occurs at an event such as a Developer Meeting, you can
also reach out to any of the event organizers or staff to report it. If you
cannot find one of the organizers, the hotel staff can locate one for you.
We will also post detailed contact information for specific events as part
of each events’ information. Event organizers and staff will be prepared to
handle the incident and able to help. Your report will still be kept
confidential exactly as above, but also feel free to (anonymously if
needed) email conduct at llvm.org if needed.

In your report please include:
- Your contact info (so we can get in touch with you if we need to follow
up)
- Names (real, nicknames, or pseudonyms) of any individuals involved. If
there were other witnesses besides you, please try to include them as well.
- When and where the incident occurred. Please be as specific as possible.
- Your account of what occurred. If there is a publicly available record
(e.g. a mailing list archive or a public IRC logger) please include a link.
- Any extra context you believe existed for the incident.
- If you believe this incident is ongoing.
- Any other information you believe we should have.

## What happens after you file a report? ##
You will receive an email from the LLVM Foundation Code of Conduct Advisory
Committee acknowledging receipt within 24 hours (and will aim for much
quicker than that).

The Advisory Committee will immediately meet to review the incident and
determine:
- What happened.
- Whether this event constitutes a code of conduct violation.
- Who the bad actor was.
- Whether this is an ongoing situation, or if there is a threat to anyone's
physical safety.
- If this is determined to be an ongoing incident or a threat to physical
safety, the committee's immediate priority will be to protect everyone
involved. This means we may delay an "official" response until we believe
that the situation has ended and that everyone is physically safe.

Once the working group has a complete account of the events they will make
a decision as to how to respond. Responses may include:
- A private reprimand from the working group to the individual(s) involved.
- A public reprimand.
- An imposed vacation (i.e. asking someone to "take a week off" from a
mailing list or IRC).
- A permanent or temporary ban from some or all LLVM spaces (mailing lists,
IRC, etc.)
- A request for a public or private apology.
- Nothing (if we determine no violation occurred).

If not resolved within one week, we'll respond within one week to the
original reporter with an explanation of why the situation is not yet
resolved.

Once we've determined our final action, we'll contact the original reporter
to let them know what action (if any) we'll be taking. We'll take into
account feedback from the reporter on the appropriateness of our response,
but we don't guarantee we'll act on it.

Finally, the Advisory Committee will make a report on the situation to the
LLVM Foundation board. The board may choose to make a public statement
about the incident.

## Appealing ##
Only permanent resolutions (such as bans) may be appealed. To appeal a
decision of the working group, contact the LLVM Foundation Board at
board at llvm.org with your appeal and the board will review the case.


(This text is based on the Django Project Code of Conduct, which is in turn
based on wording from the Speak Up! project.)
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