Hacker News Reader

Comment by AgentEpsilon | Hacker News Reader

I think I understand why they forked Node.js, but what I don't understand is what they hope to accomplish. io.js implemented features that node.js didn't have, but all ayo.js has done is replace the word "node" with "ayo". How does forking the entire project help with protesting this perceived break in the node.js code of conduct?

View on HN

The abstract belief is that there are actually a ton of people who have felt systematically worn down and excluded from the community, both by this one person's hostile attitude and the broader problem of the CoC being used to attack "people we don't like" rather than being applied fairly. The claim is that Rod's full spectrum of behavior (beyond even the particular complaints raised) would have merited serious reprimand were he not in a position of power and authority, whereas the people on the core committees etc. should be more accountable to the community values than the occasional contributors.

Given that these people are excluded by the biased application of these rules, this forms a space where they can feel more welcome as those rules will be applied fairly within this space. This should encourage novel solutions and contributions to Ayo.js which of course right now Node.js is free to merge in -- but the people who work in Ayo.js won't have to deal with the perceived inconsistent standards of Node.js or the perceived-as-hostile personalities that can only make it in Node.js but not Ayo.js.

In general forks are not bad things and being 'forkophobic' is a sort of 'open-source smell'; see Bryan Cantrill's talks on forking illumos. I don't think anyone is ready to step up as a BDFL for Ayo.js just yet, but I don't think it's out-of-the-question either.

The only thing I see happening is that it will last for a time, then Ayo will be left in the dust and unmaintained will node.js will move along just fine.

ayo thinks that having a code of conduct will lead to a higher quality of contributor, thus higher quality library. The thought is that, if we have a code of conduct, more people will be interested in joining (because the "rules of engagement" are well defined, so people know what to expect when they join). And if more people join, we'll be able to do X better, faster, etc. etc.

Well Node.js already has a CoC accompanied with various institutions such as "The Node.js Foundation Technical Steering Comittee"[0]. It's just that some aren't happy with how the comittee has voted. The claim that Code of Conducts lead to higher contributions gets repeated all the time, yet no one has ever shown any supporting evidence AFAIK.

[0] https://github.com/nodejs/TSC

Reply on news.ycombinator.com