The ASF and our many projects welcome all participants. Before you begin, it is important to review and respect our community guidelines. We have a few ASF-specific tips below.
Code of Conduct ¶
The ASF has adopted a Code of Conduct which covers interactions in all the online spaces that ASF projects use - email, issue trackers, wikis, websites, IRC, and the like. ASF projects are made up of volunteers, and we work to ensure that all productive contributions are welcomed. Every PMC is expected to ensure their project’s lists show proper behavior.
Guidelines for Conduct and Etiquette ¶
The ASF as a corporation is run by several hundred members, who have deep and lasting experience in helping to build and run long-term, successful open source projects. Below are some guidelines to help you communicate with other volunteers, and get the most out of your communication experience.
General Communication Guidelines
-
Use a thoughtful, respectful tone to communicate your thoughts. Remember, text is difficult to interpret. There are no body language or voice tones to help interpret the messenger’s intent. Remember that the person on the other side of your communication is also a human deserving of understanding and respect.
-
If you agree with someone, let them know. If you disagree, let them know as well. Positive and negative feedback are both necessary. Positive feedback will help others feel more confident in their ideas, as well as ensure they know they’re on the right track. Negative feedback, given in a respectable tone, will help to guide the messenger toward a more productive solution.
-
Avoid idiomatic and metaphoric language. At the ASF, we have thousands of volunteers that speak different languages. To avoid miscommunication, it is best to avoid this type of language in favor of clear, direct statements.
-
Be patient when waiting for responses. Because the ASF is an international community, there may be some delays in response time. We call these “asynchronous responders.” We understand that it can be difficult and frustrating to wait, but please give these asynchronous responders time to read and address your message. The ASF strives to respond to all messages (email, slack, etc.) in a timely manner.
-
Dealing with conflict and miscommunication: Here at the ASF, we strive to make everyone feel welcome and wanted in their roles. With that said, we also understand that miscommunications happen, especially in text. If you are sent a message that you don’t understand, or feel uncomfortable with, a good first step would be to ask for clarification. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions. Chances are, the person you’re communicating with has been in your position before, and will understand.
-
Be forgiving and accept different priorities: Everyone that works on ASF projects is passsionate about their work, and we love and welcome that passion and hope you will bring your own passion to your projects. Please remember, the ASF currently has over 300 projects, each with their own project priorities. If your priorities seem at odds with others, remember that compromise is essential to progress. Work with the other person to come up with a compromise that takes all project priorities into account.
-
Note: Foul, derogatory, or divisive language in any form, up to and including threats, harassment, and discriminatory language, is strongly prohibited.
Face-to-Face is excellent way to eliminate disagreements, but that is often not practical. Consider a conversation via Skype, Google Hangouts or a Slack channel, just for the social aspect of being part of this community. It does not need to be a formal meeting. Once we have a face to add to the words, and a general idea how that person is socially, we are much more capable to interact via text.
Project decisions must always be made on mailing lists.
It’s great to have a synchronous online chat to work through some questions, but
be sure to bring the results of the chat (and any proposals for the
project community to consider) back to the mailing list. People who
weren’t able to attend the chat or call might also have ideas on the topic.
Be sure to allow at least 72 hours for others to read the proposals and
comment before closing out the issue.