This assumes all participation is equal. This is not the case. It’s GitLab’s sandbox, their rules (including not being crass if desired).
How is this different than what would be expected with a Code of Conduct? Must one call out “Don’t be a dick”? Vigorous debate is to be expected, being rude is not.
Gitlab is well within the right to ban rude remarks on their platform, but that isn't the same as regulating the open source community as a whole, which they have neither the right nor ability to do.
Obviously. The matter I am concerned with is the attitude that anybody is empowered to regulate the 'open source culture', which is worlds apart from regulating one particular forum.
> It’s GitLab’s sandbox, their rules (including not being crass if desired).
They can ban people who clicked on the "Reversed Hand With Middle Finger Extended" emojis. If it's against their rules, they should (otherwise there's no point in having rules in the first place). That said, if the emoji is in their system (and it's not there by accident), it probably serves a purpose. In this case, it accurately represents the sentiment of people who gave that feedback.
> How is this different than what would be expected with a Code of Conduct?
No different at all; Codes of Conduct exist primarily to signal allegiance or submission to the social justice crowd. They introduce nothing new on top of regular rulesets that existed in on-line communities since on-line was a thing.
I am absolutely of the mind that Codes of Conduct have been weaponized, but there’s no reason for participants to be so overtly rude in the discussion, regardless of reactji availability.
How is this different than what would be expected with a Code of Conduct? Must one call out “Don’t be a dick”? Vigorous debate is to be expected, being rude is not.