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Comment by agonzalezro | Hacker News Reader

Since the CoCs started to be a thing I always though that they were unnecessary because I growth with the mantra: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

Said that, sadly, this doesn't seem to be a true statement in tech and a CoC doesn't hurt. I am ok with Go getting one if it's going to make people feel more welcomed on the community.

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>"do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

So a masochist can hit other people?

I'm joking, but it shows a general issue with that motto: that what a person finds acceptable might not be what others want in a project.

E.g. person X likes seeing cat pictures in HN, and wants other people to post cat pictures. But that doesn't mean that X posting cat pictures would be what the others want too.

For once I actually agree with you, coldtea. It is not enough to rely on everyone's unique instincts and preferences. This is why we need a Code of Conduct.

You're taking a literal reading out of something that's not meant to be literal. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" means treat other people with respect and be nice to them because most people like to be respected and treated nicely. You're right it probably wasn't written 5000 years ago for the extreme case of a person who likes being treated badly. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Rule

Or you could just take the less imposing version and not do to others what you don't want done to yourself.

How about an even clearer version:

Don't do to others what they don't want to be done to them?

What you're describing is covered under "The Platinum Rule".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Platinum_Rule_(Golden_Rule...

I don't feel welcomed. I feel like if I say an offhand comment I'll be attacked. I feel like I could be subject to retro-active harassment campaigns should my relationship with a minority colleague go south due to their own fault.

I don't want to participate in these communities where everything you've ever done is put to the wayside. I don't want to work with people who are so immature they censor and shame opposing thoughts they don't like.

How is that welcoming?

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