[kde-community] FOSDEM Organisation

[Carl Symons]

On 12/05/2014 09:11 PM, Valorie Zimmerman wrote:
> On Wed, Dec 3, 2014 at 5:21 PM, John Layt <jlayt at kde.org> wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> Just a heads-up that I will not be attending FOSDEM next year and will
>> not be assisting in any way with preparations for FOSDEM or providing
>> any hardware. This is the result of the FOSDEM organisers refusing to
>> institute a proper Code of Conduct for attendees or to take any other
>> steps in addressing the dreadful gender ratio of speakers on their
>> program or attending the conference itself. I have attempted to
>> discuss these issues with them and found their attitude and beliefs
>> completely unacceptable to me. As such I cannot give them any form of
>> support, and sadly that means not helping the KDE community at this
>> event anymore.
>>
>> John.
>
> Ouch, I was not aware that FOSDEM has no CoC. That is really bad. Do
> we have any connections to the organizers where we can make them aware
> that this is *important*?
>
> I for one would never want to attend a conf. with no CoC. There have
> been far too many incidents of harassment, assault and other nastiness
> to ignore. It is up to us individually and up to us as the KDE
> community to stand up for minority communities, and extend the hand of
> friendship to all.
>
> I know FOSDEM is happening soon, but it is not too late to take some
> action on our part, and not too late for them to add a link to a
> decent CoC on their website, at the very least.
>
> Thank you John for raising the issue on the list. I wish I had known earlier.
>
> Valorie
>

I have been in contact with FOSDEM organizers. I worked closely with one 
of them earlier this year. She writes...
"Not that I am personally against a code of coduct, but being a FOSDEM
attendee for the last 3 years, I don't feel that FOSDEM is not
welcoming to women, or that it discriminates in any way.

I might be biased since I am one of FOSDEM organizers, but I truly
think that FOSDEM is the foss event with less, if any, discrimination..."

There's more about the situation that should be taken into account 
before there is a KDE UPRISING.

At least some of the FOSDEM organizers believe that it's important. They 
have a social conduct policy. It's published in the front of the program 
brochure. Apparently John doesn't think that it is proper (whatever that 
means):

"Social conduct policy

   The FOSDEM organisers were surprised to hear that
   harassment is a common problem at open source conferences
   around the world. While we have no evidence of antisocial
   behaviour ever having been a problem at FOSDEM, we would
   like to remind everyone that harassment of any kind will
   not be tolerated.  Please report any concerns to a FOSDEM
   staff member (yellow shirts), or contact our coordinator
   Wynke on (telephone number)"
from the 2014 conference in plain view 
(https://archive.fosdem.org/2014/assets/booklet-a1fec82960ed17ed7974bc2e9951dfc898c83318f8634f7ee046d952ada8ecb7.pdf)

Some policies spell out detailed definitions of harassment and harassing 
behaviors, discussions of social structures of domination. How much 
effect does that detail and philosophizing have? IMO not much. A Code of 
Conduct encyclopedia is not likely to change dominating, churlish, 
harassing mindsets.

What makes a practical difference is that the FOSDEM social conduct 
policy is clearly, though generally stated, published and given to 
attendees. Further, it includes a complaint resolution structure.

I don't have enough information to address John's claims about the 
FOSDEM organizers refusing to address a lopsided gender ratio. 
Presumably someone who feels strongly about the issue could join the 
organizing team and do something about it.

The quick, friendly response I got from my acquaintance and one other 
person on the FOSDEM organizing team was quite different than what John 
describes.

Carl