Code of Conduct

An important part of open source projects is the code of conduct. It’s a clear and reliable guide for users and contributors to interact with each other, the product, and the code. The overall goal is to create a successful and inclusive community.

Projects benefit from a code of conduct because it increases clarity about the project’s values. A common template is that of The Contributor Covenant. Some projects like the Go project have more explicit procedures for the enforcement of their code of conduct because it allows for conflict resolution in a way that is personalized and beneficial to that specific project. Another interesting code of conduct is that of Sugar Labs. It is different in that it adds instruction on “stepping down” to minimize disruption and it’s based on the Ubuntu Code of Conduct.

FreeCodeCamp is a project dedicated to helping others learn how to code. It’s Code of Conduct differs from the previous examples in that it provides a reference to a moderator team that receives complaints. This achieves the goal of practicing active listening that is one of the building blocks to ensuring that the community feels heard. It also explicitly prohibits bots without prior permission.

Building a successful project is challenging but clear communication like that in FreeCodeCamp and verbalizing the commitment that a project has towards inclusivity allows for better community. That combined with good conflict resolution, flexibility, and empathy give way to thriving open source communities.