This community is made up of a mixture of professionals and volunteers from all over the world. Diversity is one of our greatest strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and unhappiness. To that end, here are ground rules that contributors to this project should adhere to.
This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it’s intended - a guide to make it easier to be excellent to each other:
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Be considerate. Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect users and contributors, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions.
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Be respectful. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior 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.
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Be disciplined. When you disagree, make the idea, not the person, the focal point of your communication. Stop and reconsider your phrasing when you type the word "you." When you become critical of an idea or action, focus on asking questions instead of making assertions.
Remember that we’re different. The strength of a project comes from its varied community - people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. If you cannot understand why someone holds a viewpoint, don't assume that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err, and that blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Teamwork makes a project successful, not arguments.