Bonum Certa Men Certa

Automattic: We Need a CoC to Protect Automattic From Outside Scrutiny

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Oct 21, 2024,
updated Oct 21, 2024

Little girl on a yellow inflatable slide - background

Further to what we wrote earlier...

We are passionate about making the web silent and obedient

Whistleblowing denied irrespective of the circumstances (e.g. misconduct by someone, cover-up, lies):

At the heart of our community is our shared pledge to create a space that is harassment-free, welcoming, and inclusive for all. Our Community Code of Conduct already outlines a clear set of expectations, while also providing examples of unacceptable actions

Further down:

This new addition ensures that private messages receive the same level of protection as personal information and that sensitive communications shared in confidence will not be disclosed without prior consent. An important exception to this is when sharing private messages is necessary for reporting incidents or concerns to the Incident Response Team, as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment.

"Incident Response Team" is a bit like a secret police, akin to "IU" (Investigative Unit) at EPO, where crimes get covered up by chasing the whistleblowers or any perceived disloyalty:

Incident Response Team

Free society circling down the drain:

Looking down at a spiral slide: OK, I find it objectionable; OK, I don't agree with it; OK, it doesn't add anything; OK, who needs feedback? OK, I have nothing to say; Everyone, just say quiet

Just say, "QUIET!" Or stay quiet, just like in Russia... where people learned the hard way.

The spiral slide of free speech...

Do you condone where we are heading?

At the end of the day, under the guise of "protecting people", Automattic (as in Matt) is just trying to protect itself as a corporation (from insiders who are aware of misconduct of bad conduct).

This is the slippy slope of any CoC. It may result in more backlash and more clandestine whistleblowing. It's wishful thinking and it is unfit for purpose. Transparency works better. It means there's nothing to "leak".

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