PSF Code of Conduct (Python Software Foundation)
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| PSF Code of Conduct (Python Software Foundation) | |
|---|---|
| Name | PSF Code of Conduct |
| Formation | 2018 |
| Purpose | Community standards and conduct |
| Headquarters | Delaware |
| Region served | Global |
| Parent organization | Python Software Foundation |
PSF Code of Conduct (Python Software Foundation) The PSF Code of Conduct is the formal conduct policy adopted by the Python Software Foundation to govern behavior across its projects, events, and community spaces. It establishes standards for acceptable conduct, outlines reporting mechanisms, and informs enforcement to maintain inclusive participation among contributors, conference attendees, and volunteer leaders. The policy interfaces with community governance, event management, and legal considerations relevant to open source stewardship.
Overview
The document functions as a behavioral charter for participants affiliated with the Python Software Foundation, aligning with practices seen in Apache Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, Django Software Foundation, and Node.js Foundation governance frameworks. It articulates roles, responsibilities, and expectations for volunteers, maintainers, and staff similar to protocols used by Mozilla Firefox, Kubernetes, OpenStack, Eclipse Foundation, and Free Software Foundation projects. The Code situates the PSF within broader community standards such as those referenced by NumPy, Pandas (software), TensorFlow, PyTorch, and SciPy ecosystems, and intersects with conference codes used by PyCon, EuroPython, DEF CON, SIGGRAPH, and FOSDEM.
History and Development
Creation and adoption of the code occurred amid evolving community norms following incidents and debates in open source governance, paralleling developments at GitHub, GitLab, Stack Overflow, Red Hat, and Canonical (company). Drafting involved community consultation and comparisons with frameworks from Ada Initiative, Geek Feminism, Women Who Code, Open Source Initiative, and institutional policies at MIT, Stanford University, Harvard University, and Carnegie Mellon University. Milestones in its evolution echo policy updates in projects like Rust (programming language), Ruby on Rails, PHP, Perl, and LLVM Project.
Scope and Applicability
The Code applies to PSF-run events, project repositories, mailing lists, issue trackers, and chat channels, similar in scope to protocols used by Apache HTTP Server, Jenkins (software), Homebrew (software), Chef (company), and Puppet (software). It covers in-person venues such as PyCon US, PyCon AU, PyCon UK, PyCon DE, and virtual forums comparable to Stack Exchange, Discord, Slack (software), IRC, and Matrix (protocol). It delineates applicability vis-à-vis corporate sponsors like Google, Microsoft, Amazon (company), Facebook, and IBM when participating in PSF contexts, and clarifies boundaries relative to external events such as OSCON, LinuxCon, Open Source Summit, and All Things Open.
Key Principles and Provisions
The Code emphasizes respect, inclusion, harassment prevention, and non-retaliation, reflecting principles found in policies by United Nations, European Commission, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Human Rights Campaign, and ACLU. Provisions include definitions of unacceptable behavior, examples drawn from incidents in communities like Stack Overflow, Twitter, Reddit (website), Wikipedia, and GitHub, and expectations for moderators and organizers analogous to roles at Mozilla Festival, FOSDEM, SXSW, and Black Hat (conference). The document outlines accommodations, accessibility commitments, and privacy protections resonant with practices at British Standards Institution, ISO, W3C, and ADA-related initiatives.
Enforcement and Reporting Procedures
Enforcement mechanisms specify confidential reporting channels, triage workflows, investigatory steps, and sanctioning options including warnings, event bans, and project access restrictions, similar to processes deployed by GitHub, GitLab, Twitter (now X), Facebook, and YouTube. It names designated contact roles and escalation paths comparable to Ombudsperson positions at European Parliament, United Nations Secretariat, World Bank, and IMF. Procedures integrate with legal compliance frameworks familiar to Delaware nonprofit statutes and corporate policies at major sponsors such as Google LLC, Microsoft Corporation, Amazon.com, Inc., and Red Hat, Inc. while balancing confidentiality and transparency akin to processes at National Science Foundation panels.
Impact and Reception
Adoption generated discussion across open source communities, developer media, and academic critiques, with commentary from entities like Wired (magazine), The Verge, Ars Technica, ZDNet, and TechCrunch and analyses by scholars at MIT Media Lab, Oxford Internet Institute, Stanford Cyber Policy Center, and Harvard Kennedy School. Supporters cite improved safety and retention seen in communities such as Rustaceans, Julia (programming language), R Project, Perl Foundation, and Haskell Foundation, while critics raised concerns echoed in debates at EFF, Free Software Foundation, Cato Institute, and libertarian commentators. The policy influenced event organizers and projects, contributing to culture shifts observed at PyCon, EuroPython, SciPy Conference, JupyterCon, and DjangoCon.
Revisions and Related Policies
The Code has undergone revisions aligning with community feedback, legal reviews, and best practices promoted by Open Source Initiative, Software Freedom Conservancy, Center for Democracy & Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and corporate counsel at sponsors like IBM Corporation and Microsoft Corporation. Related PSF policies include contributor agreements, trademark guidelines, anti-harassment protocols, privacy policies, and governance documents that parallel instruments used by Linux Foundation, Apache Software Foundation, Eclipse Foundation, and Free Software Foundation. Ongoing updates consider interoperability with codes from conferences such as PyCon, EuroPython, and organizations like NumFOCUS and Outreachy.