Level: Intermediate
The role of the Community Code of Conduct Committee has been reactive. Reports come in, there's an investigation, a (hopefully timely) decision is made, actions taken, reports closed. The Committee has been asked to serve as the point of contact for concerns and reports for events and while the option is there, we would like to discourage it, and instead propose more local response system.
There’s a couple of challenges with the current model. The PostgreSQL Community Code of Conduct Committee is globally distributed, but typically has no more than two members per ~ time zone—and in most regions, only one. Without someone physically present at an event, it becomes difficult to respond quickly to reports or address incidents as they occur. This has, at times, led to drawn-out resolution processes, increased frustration, and situations where unsafe conditions persisted longer than they should have. Unfortunately, we suspect it has eroded trust in the committee.
Code of Conduct work is demanding and requires constant attentiveness. To make it more sustainable, there’s an opportunity to standardize how incidents are reported and addressed, and to do so locally.
A proposal is being drafted to require having a CoC response team on-site at community-recognized events. Let's discuss what that would need to look like, and the support required for local organizing teams that would need to come from PostgreSQL Europe, PostgreSQL United States, or other organizations.