site/blog/creators-code-2018-09-18.markdown

---
title: "Creator's Code"
author: Christine Dodrill
date: 2018-09-17
---

# [Creator's Code](https://github.com/Xe/creators-code)

I feel there is a large problem in the industry I have found myself in. There is,
unfortunately, a need for codes of behavioral conduct to help arrange and align
collaboration across so many cultural and ideological barriers, as well as
technological and understanding-based barriers. There are so many barriers that
it becomes difficult for people from different backgrounds to get integrated into
the flow of the project or to maintain people due to the behavior of others.

I seek to change this by offering what I think to be a [minimalist alternative][code]
grounded in a core of humility, appreciation, valor, forgiveness, understanding,
and compassion. Humility for knowing that your own way is not always the correct
one, and that others may have had a helpful background. Appreciation for those 
that show up, their contributions, and the lives that we all enrich with our work.
Valor, or the courage to speak up against things that are out of alignment with
the whole. Forgiveness, because people change and it is not fair to let their
past experiences sour things too much. Understanding is the key to our groups, 
the knowledge of how complicated systems interact and how to explain it to people
less familiar with them. Compassion for others' hardships, even the ones we cannot
as easily comprehend.

I am basing this not on any world religion, but on a core I feel is condicuve to
human interrelation as adults who just want to create software.
This mainly started as a reaction to seeing so many other projects adopt codes 
of conduct that enables busybodies to override decision-making processes in open
source communities. I am not comfortable with more access to patterns of numbers
being used as a means of leverage by people who otherwise have no stake in the
project.
If this adds any factor to my argument, I personally am transgender. I normally
don't mention it because for the 99% of real-world cases it is not relevant. 
It is mostly relevant when dealing with my doctor.

In meditation, it is often useful to lead a session with a statement of 
intention. This statement helps set the tone for the session and can sometimes
help as a guide to go back to when you feel you have gone astray. I want the
[Creator's Code][cc] to be such a statement of intention. I want it to focus the 
creations and using them to enrich their creators as well as others who just
happen to read its code.

I hope this code of conduct helps to serve as a minimalist alternative to others.
I do not want anyone to push this onto anyone. Making a decision to use a code
such as the Creator's Code must be a conscious and intentional decision. Forcing
this kind of thing on anyone is the worst possible way to introduce it. That 
will make people resist more violently than they would have if you introducted 
it peacefully.

Be well, creators. Be well and just create.

[cc]: https://github.com/Xe/creators-code
[code]: https://github.com/Xe/creators-code/blob/master/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md