Re: The Imperative of Addressing Behavioral Issues for the Sake of Diversity and Inclusiveness

To clarify - I am not in any way minimizing the need to deal with bullying
or suggesting that these topics should not have been brought up in the
first place.  I am rather suggesting that, now that the issue has been
raised publicly, the problem should be dealt with through mechanisms the
community has set up to deal with unhealthy work environments - the Code of
Conduct Committee.  I am also suggesting that the institutional
relationships between IMEC and the Solid community are at risk and would
seriously disrupt the progress of Solid if the rift widens.  Yes,
absolutely, we need to deal with bullying in our community.  We also need
to figure out an open source community server we can collaborate on.

On Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 3:20 AM Melvin Carvalho <melvincarvalho@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Jeff,
>
> Thank you for your email and for sharing your thoughts on the matter at
> hand.
>
> > "I'd like to ask that discussions about personal interactions be kept
> between individuals or in front of a Code of Conduct Committee or other
> mediator as needed."
>
> While I understand your point about keeping personal issues separate from
> the public discourse, I respectfully disagree. I would like to emphasize
> that the issues being raised here are not merely personal; they speak to an
> endemic problem that threatens the diversity and inclusiveness of our
> community. This is, therefore, very much a matter of public interest.
>
> > "Personal issues only cloud the issues that Michiel and Emelia address"
>
> On the contrary, I believe that failing to address these 'personal issues'
> in a public forum could have a chilling effect on the community,
> particularly among those who are already marginalized. Let's recall the
> testimonies that initiated this discussion:
>
> Emelia stated:
> > "The people in the wrong here have repeatedly acted like this towards
> many many community members, even driving some away, or at least
> contributing to an unhealthy environment which drove them away."
>
> Michiel mentioned:
> > "After years in the Solid community I and others have gotten used to the
> bullying, but that doesn’t make it OK."
>
> The offending remarks were:
> > "You are the stereotype of an attention-addicted narcissist, which is
> why [we] need to protect [our] employees from wasting our precious time."
> > "Go steal other people’s time, you will get more applause and spotlights
> there. But not from us. Jamais."
>
> These accounts indicate a pattern of behavior that is hostile and
> exclusionary. Such actions can dissuade new contributors from joining and
> prompt existing members to leave, thereby undermining the diversity and
> inclusiveness that should be the cornerstone of any community-driven
> project.
>
> Ignoring or silencing these discussions could reinforce the status quo and
> send a dangerous message that the community is willing to tolerate toxicity
> for the sake of technical or organizational expediency.
>
> I hope we can agree that diversity and inclusiveness are not just
> buzzwords; they are essential to the long-term health and success of our
> community. Therefore, it is in the public interest to address these issues
> openly and transparently.
>
> Best regards,
> Melvin Carvalho
>
>