~mako/ubuntu-codeofconduct/proposed-revision

= Ubuntu Code of Conduct v1.1 =

This Code of Conduct covers our behaviour as members of the Ubuntu

Community, in any forum, mailing list, wiki, web site, IRC channel,

install-fest, public meeting or private correspondence.  Ubuntu

governance bodies are ultimately accountable to the Ubuntu Community

Council and will arbitrate in any dispute over the conduct of a member

of the community.

      '''Be considerate.''' Our work will be used by other people, and

      we in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision we take

      will affect users and colleagues, and we should take those

      consequences into account when making decisions.  Ubuntu has

      millions of users and thousands of contributors. Even if it's not

      obvious at the time, our contributions to Ubuntu will impact the

      work of others.  For example, changes to code, infrastructure,

      policy, documentation, and translations during a release may

      negatively impact others' work.

      '''Be respectful.''' The Ubuntu community and its members treat

      one another with respect. Everyone can make a valuable

      contribution to Ubuntu. We may not always agree, but disagreement

      is no excuse for poor behaviour and poor manners. We might all

      experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that

      frustration to turn into a personal attack. It's important to

      remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or

      threatened is not a productive one. We expect members of the

      Ubuntu community to be respectful when dealing with other

      contributors as well as with people outside the Ubuntu project and

      with users of Ubuntu.

      '''Be collaborative.''' Collaboration is central to Ubuntu and to

      the larger free software community.  This collaboration involves

      individuals working with others in teams within Ubuntu, teams

      working with each other within Ubuntu, and individuals and teams

      within Ubuntu working with other projects outside. This

      collaboration reduces redundancy, and improves the quality of our

      work. Internally and externally, we should always be open to

      collaboration. Wherever possible, we should work closely with

      upstream projects and others in the free software community to

      coordinate our technical, advocacy, documentation, and other work.

      Our work should be done transparently and we should involve as

      many interested parties as early as possible.  If we decide to

      take a different approach than others, we will let them know early,

      document our work and inform others regularly of our progress.

      '''When we disagree, we consult others.''' Disagreements, both

      social and technical, happen all the time and the Ubuntu

      community is no exception. It is important that we resolve

      disagreements and differing views constructively and with the help

      of the community and community processes. We have the Technical

      Board, the Community Council, and a series of other governance

      bodies which help to decide the right course for Ubuntu. There are

      also several Project Teams and Team Leaders, who may be able to

      help us figure out the best direction for Ubuntu. When our goals

      differ dramatically, we encourage the creation of alternative sets of

      packages, or derivative distributions, using the Ubuntu Package

      Management framework, so that the community can test new ideas and

      contribute to the discussion.

      '''When we are unsure, we ask for help.''' Nobody knows

      everything, and nobody is expected to be perfect in the Ubuntu

      community. Asking questions avoids many problems down the road,

      and so questions are encouraged. Those who are asked questions should

      be responsive and helpful. However, when asking a question, care must

      be taken to do so in an appropriate forum.

      '''Step down considerately.''' Members of every project come and

      go and Ubuntu is no different. When somebody leaves or disengages

      from the project, in whole or in part, we ask that they do so in a

      way that minimises disruption to the project. This means they

      should tell people they are leaving and take the proper steps to

      ensure that others can pick up where they left off.

We pride ourselves on building a productive, happy and agile community

that can welcome new ideas in a complex field, and foster collaboration

between groups with very different needs, interests and goals. We hold

our leaders to an even higher standard, in the Leadership Code of

Conduct, and arrange the governance of the community to ensure that

issues can be raised with leaders who are engaged, interested and

competent to help resolve them.