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diff --git a/more/discussion_policy.htm b/more/discussion_policy.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..432bb40379 --- /dev/null +++ b/more/discussion_policy.htm @@ -0,0 +1,122 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> + +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=windows-1252"> +<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 5.0"> +<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document"> +<title>Boost Discussion Policy</title> +</head> + +<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> + +<table border="1" bgcolor="#007F7F" cellpadding="2"> + <tr> + <td bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> + <img src="../c++boost.gif" alt="c++boost.gif (8819 bytes)" width="277" height="86"></td> + <td><a href="../index.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>Home</big></font></a></td> + <td><a href="../libs/libraries.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>Libraries</big></font></a></td> + <td><a href="../people/people.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>People</big></font></a></td> + <td><a href="faq.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>FAQ</big></font></a></td> + <td><a href="index.htm"><font face="Arial" color="#FFFFFF"><big>More</big></font></a></td> + </tr> +</table> +<h1>Boost Discussion Policy</h1> +<p>Email discussion is the tie that binds boost members together into a community. +If the discussion is stimulating and effective, the community thrives. If +the discussion degenerates into name calling and ill will, the community withers +and dies.</p> +<h2>Acceptable topics</h2> +<ul> + <li>Queries to determine interest in a possible library submission.</li> + <li>Technical discussions about a proposed or existing library, including bug + reports and requests for help.</li> + <li>Formal Reviews of proposed libraries.</li> + <li>Reports of user experiences with Boost libraries.</li> + <li>Boost administration or policies.</li> + <li>Compiler specific workarounds as applied to Boost libraries.</li> +</ul> +<p>Other topics related to boost development may be acceptable, at the discretion of moderators. If unsure, go ahead and post. The moderators +will let you know.</p> +<h2>Unacceptable topics</h2> +<ul> + <li>Advertisements for commercial products.</li> + <li>Requests for help getting non-boost code to compile with your compiler. + Try the comp.lang.c++.moderated newsgroup instead.</li> + <li>Requests for help interpreting the C++ standard. Try the comp.std.c++ + newsgroup instead.</li> + <li>Job offers.</li> + <li>Requests for solutions to homework assignments +</ul> +<h2>Prohibited behavior</h2> +<p>Prohibited behavior will not be tolerated. The moderators will ban +postings by abusers.</p> +<h3>Flame wars</h3> +<p>Personal insults, argument for the sake of argument, and all the other +behaviors which fall into the "flame war" category are +prohibited. Discussions should focus on technical arguments, not the +personality traits or motives of participants.</p> +<h3>Third-party attacks</h3> +<p>Attacks on third parties such as software vendors, hardware vendors, or any +other organizations, are prohibited. Boost exists to unite and serve the +entire C++ community, not to disparage the work of others.</p> +<p>Does this mean that we ban the occasional complaint or wry remark about a +troublesome compiler? No, but be wary of overdoing it.</p> +<h3>Off-topic posts</h3> +<p>Discussions which stray from the acceptable topics are strongly discouraged. +While off-topic posts are often well meaning and not as individually corrosive +as other abuses, cumulatively the distraction damages the effectiveness of +discussion.</p> +<h2>Culture</h2> +<p>In addition to technical skills, Boost members value collaboration, +acknowledgement of the help of others, and a certain level of politeness. Boost +membership is very international, and ranges widely in age and other +characteristics. Think of discussion as occurring among colleagues in a widely read forum, rather +than among a few close friends.</p> + +<p>Always remember that the cumulative effort spent by people reading +your contribution scales with the (already large) number of boost +members. Thus, do invest time and effort to make your message as +readable as possible. Adhere to English syntax and grammar rules such +as proper capitalization. Avoid copious informalism, colloquial +language, or abbreviations, they may not be understood by all readers. +Re-read your message before submitting it.</p> + +<h2>Guidelines for effective discussions</h2> +<p>Apply social engineering to prevent heated technical discussion from +degenerating into a shouting match, and to actively encourage the cooperation +upon which Boost depends.</p> +<ul> + <li>Questions help. If someone suggests something that you don't think + will work, then replying with a question like "will that compile?" + or "won't that fail to compile, or am I missing something?" is a + lot smoother than "That's really stupid - it won't compile." + Saying "that fails to compile for me, and seems to violate section + n.n.n of the standard" would be yet another way to be firm without + being abrasive.</li> + <li>If most of the discussion has been code-free generalities, posting a bit + of sample code can focus people on the practical issues.</li> + <li>If most of the discussion has been in terms of specific code, try to talk + a bit about hidden assumptions and generalities that may be preventing + discussion closure.</li> + <li>Taking a time-out is often effective. Just say: "Let me think + about that for a day or two. Let's take a time-out to digest the + discussion so far."</li> +</ul> +<p>Avoid Parkinson's Bicycle Shed. Parkinson described a committee formed +to oversee design of an early nuclear power plant. There were three agenda +items - when to have tea, where to put the bicycle shed, and how to +ensure nuclear safety. Tea was disposed of quickly as trivial. +Nuclear safety was discussed for only +an hour - it was so complex, scary, and technical that even +among experts few felt comfortable with the issues. Endless days were then +spent discussing where to put the bicycle shed (the parking lot would +be a modern equivalent) because everyone +understood the issues and felt comfortable discussing them. </p> +<hr> +<p>Revised <!--webbot bot="Timestamp" S-Type="EDITED" S-Format="%d %B, %Y" startspan -->25 January, 2002<!--webbot bot="Timestamp" i-checksum="38448" endspan --> +</p> + +</body> + +</html> |