[J3] (SC22WG5.6237) Professionalism and Respect

[Steve Lionel]

**

*Recently, some within PL22.3 (J3) have raised concerns about conduct 
and behavior that is expected within PL22.3 and WG5. This prompted a 
meeting of Steve (WG5 Convenor), Dan (PL22.3 Chair) and Bryce (PL22 
Chair) with the INCITS Executive Board, INCITS Secretariat, and ANSI 
Secretariat, to discuss the situation (including two particular 
incidents)  and decide how we can improve the environment in which we 
conduct our work.*

*

Our conduct and behavior can have a “chilling effect” on participation, 
as was the case in the incidents discussed at the Executive Board 
meeting. Some, especially newcomers, have begun to question how open the 
Fortran committee is to the opinions and participation of others. Those 
of us who have been on the committee a long time have tended to shrug 
off such things as “Oh, that’s just X being X,”. We haven’t recognized 
the negative effect that tolerating some types of behavior has on new 
and prospective members. If we don’t take positive action now to change 
our collective behavior, our ability to continue work on the Fortran 
language may be threatened.


PL22.3 and WG5 operate under INCITS, ANSI, ISO and IEC. Each (except 
INCITS, which is developing one) has their own “Code of Conduct” (links 
provided below), and we’re expected to follow all of them. But they’re 
all in agreement on the important point of respecting others and 
behaving ethically.


ISO’s Code of Conduct says (in part):


We are committed to:

  *

    Respecting others and the professional culture of international
    standardization within ISO

  *

    Conducting ourselves in a professional manner

  *

    Respecting others and the diversity of professional opinions –
    scientific, technical, or otherwise

  *

    Embracing the concepts of compromise and consensus-building in the
    development of ISO standards

  *

    Accepting and respecting consensus decisions of the committee or
    working group and of the ISO/TMB

  *

    Making the effort to hear and understand the views of all,
    regardless of the diversity of acceptable accents and levels of
    command of the language of the meeting

We will:

  *

    Act in good faith and with due care and diligence

  *

    Avoid collusive or anticompetitive behavior

  *

    Promote a culture of fair and ethical behavior, without prejudice
    against any ISO actor based on any human differences

  *

    Refrain from debate and discussion that is disrespectful,
    threatening (mental or physical), or otherwise unprofessional in
    tone or which is offensive to other participants and damaging to ISO
    and the overall process of achieving consensus


ANSI's Code of Conduct says:

  *

    Although it is recognized that legitimate differences of opinion can
    exist on individual issues, Participants should act in a dignified
    and courteous manner, so as to avoid injuring others, their
    property, reputation, or employment by false, malicious or improper
    action and to avoid acting in a disrespectful or unprofessional
    manner towards other Members or ANSI staff.

  *

    In all discussion, debate, and deliberation, Participants should
    confine their comments to the merits of the issues under review.
    Although Participants may forcefully advocate their views or
    positions, they should be candid and forthcoming about any
    weaknesses in their position, and they should refrain from debate
    and discussion that is disrespectful or unprofessional in tone or
    that is unduly personalized or damaging to the overall process of
    achieving consensus.


We want the Fortran committee to be a welcoming environment for 
everyone. This means having a professional, technical discussion of 
issues, without raised voices or insults. It means not being dismissive 
of attempts to make the committee more inclusive. It means 
consensus-building, which sometimes ends up having the standard go in a 
direction that you may not like.


We are all expected to make every effort to ensure our behavior is 
appropriate. What matters is not whether we find our own actions 
offensive or disrespectful; it's whether others find them offensive or 
disrespectful. It costs us little to avoid to have empathy for and avoid 
causing harm to our colleagues. We can always find a different way of 
expressing ourselves.


In future meetings, reminders of the Code of Conduct will be more 
prominent, and we will quickly put a halt to offensive behavior. If you 
are uncomfortable or unhappy with anything that happens at a meeting, or 
in communications between meetings, please feel free to approach Dan or 
Steve about it privately.


We’re all committed to the future of Fortran - that’s why we’re on the 
committee. We can be most effective and efficient when we collaborate 
ethically and respectfully. Let’s make it happen.


Steve Lionel (WG5 Convenor)

Dan Nagle (PL22.3 Chair)Bryce Adelstein Lelbach (PL22 Chair)


Links to Codes of Conduct:

ISO: 
https://www.iso.org/files/live/sites/isoorg/files/store/en/PUB100397.pdfIEC: 
https://basecamp.iec.ch/download/iec-code-of-conduct-for-delegates-and-experts/ANSI: 
https://www.ansi.org/publicstatements/Code-of-Conduct


*

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