
Contributors Leaving Pytest - loose11
https://twitter.com/brettsky/status/1248690641539760128
======
gorgoiler
I feel very uncomfortable whenever I read a code-of-conduct, including the
PyTest one:

[https://github.com/pytest-
dev/pytest/blob/master/CODE_OF_CON...](https://github.com/pytest-
dev/pytest/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md)

I don’t think there’s anything wrong at all with the spirit of such documents,
but they seem to normalize a world where bad behavior is regulated by well-
intentioned ad hoc legalese.

In the good old days, one would receive on the spot practical training on how
to behave by ones parents, friends, older siblings, teachers etc. I suspect my
revulsion at reading codes of conducts is part of me being in denial that
there are so many more people in the world now, on the internet, who were
raised by the social / etiquette equivalent of animals.

~~~
notacoward
The problem with "on the spot practical training" is that not everyone gets
the same training across cultures or economic groups. This gives some groups a
permanent embedded advantage over others, which is the opposite of
meritocracy. Ad hoc enforcement only makes this worse. The ad hoc legalese in
a code of conduct _can_ bring more consistency to both rules and enforcement,
though regrettably many implementations fall short.

~~~
gorgoiler
You make a good point — I suppose conduct codes are the HR department for
mailing lists. I’ve always thought of collaborative open source communities as
groups of friends or at least like minded hobbyists with a common thread of
likeability, but I suppose they are a lot more like workplaces.

------
Dylan16807
So some person is doing some thing and it drove multiple people out.

This desperately needs a summary for anyone not embedded in the pytest
community.

------
toyg
I don’t understand why the problematic individual is not named. I guess most
people in the pytest community know who it is, but other communities need to
be warned too, in case s/he moves on to some other project.

~~~
Chris2048
They are. Not directly, but through heavy hints in _that_ thread. I really
hope they have evidence to back this up, because from my POV they all but
identified the guy after being unhappy with the action of the CoC comittee.

Maybe they don't care now they've left, but on the other hand maybe they hope
the guy is kicked out at which point they can return; but is that really
reasonable after essentially circumventing the CoC process?

------
renewiltord
Genuinely puzzling considering the mailing lists are quite civil and actually
a generally pleasant seeming place - except for the top posters - may they
burn! jkjk :D

Anyway, according to Github recent history, the top recent committers are:

* [https://github.com/nicoddemus](https://github.com/nicoddemus) (leaving)

* [https://github.com/blueyed](https://github.com/blueyed)

* [https://github.com/RonnyPfannschmidt](https://github.com/RonnyPfannschmidt) (leaving)

* [https://github.com/asottile](https://github.com/asottile) (leaving)

* [https://github.com/bluetech](https://github.com/bluetech) (elevated last month to core)

* [https://github.com/thisch](https://github.com/thisch) (last in mid 2019)

Honestly, I didn't realize pytest was such a German product. Fascinating.

------
blondin
three contributors have left: [https://mail.python.org/pipermail/pytest-
dev/2020-April/0049...](https://mail.python.org/pipermail/pytest-
dev/2020-April/004941.html)

this is sad but echoes something i have seen far too many times. i wish them
the best luck. especially at times like these; they need to prioritize mental
health over dealing with individuals online.

sometimes it's not even about trolling but about having a bigger voice than
others online...

------
jarofgreen
Other threads:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22838951](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22838951)
and
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22837373](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22837373)

------
s9w
What's going on? I can't find anything concrete

edit: Seems to have something to do with the CoC?

~~~
toyg
No, the only issue with the CoC is that it seems unable to resolve the
situation. They have a CoC board but apparently it won’t act in this case.

~~~
s9w
I was judging from [1]: "I am contemplating to follow the #pytest exodus, I
previously left the CoC team because of the issue at hand"

[1]
[https://twitter.com/ossronny/status/1248674298807627778](https://twitter.com/ossronny/status/1248674298807627778)

~~~
toyg
Yes - the CoC seems powerless to stop the problem. That guy recognised that
earlier and dropped out of the CoC board; eventually he followed others who
dropped out of the project.

From what I can determine, this is not one of those “omg the newfangled CoC is
driving people away” situations, but rather “we have an asshole in our midst
and, despite all the big words about CoC, nothing actually gets done about it,
so I’m out”.

------
xiaodai
It would be funny if of the three that has left A has an issue with B who in
turn has an issue with C who has an issue with A. But it's not funny.

