3.2.21 Intentionally or unintentional, unintentionally making assumptions

[lwolberg]

Thanks for all the hard work here. I offer some constructive feedback on 3.2.21, I'll explain why I think it begs a revision to enhance its clarity and effectiveness.

Current text

Intentionally or unintentionally making assumptions about the skills or knowledge of others, such as using language that implies the audience is uninformed on a topic (e.g., interjections like "I can't believe you don't know about [topic]").

Critique

Focus on Assumption Rather Than Action: The current wording emphasizes the act of making assumptions, which is often an unconscious or involuntary cognitive process. We make assumptions all the time! It's important to acknowledge the critical role that assumptions play in our daily interactions. Assumptions, or heuristics, are essential cognitive shortcuts that help us navigate the complexities of our world efficiently. They enable us to 'fill in the blanks' in situations where we don't have complete information, often leading to effective and pragmatic decision-making. However, in a professional setting and particularly at a diverse group like W3C, it's crucial that these assumptions do not lead to actions or statements that undermine respect or inclusivity. Balancing this natural tendency with a conscious effort to maintain an open and unbiased perspective is key to fostering a collaborative and respectful workplace environment. The rest of the code of conduct focuses on observable behaviors. I suggest we retain that focus: behaviors and actions that are controllable.

Redundancy: Assumptions, by their nature, can be either intentional or unintentional. Is there any other way to assume something? Specifying both states does not IMHO add clarity, and it complicates the sentence.

Ambiguity in Enforcement: The phrase as it stands is subjective, making it difficult to enforce. It's challenging to determine when someone is making assumptions, especially if these are unintentional. Actions, on the other hand, are generally documentable and clear.

Enforcement: In the current wording, a person could be reported for a code of conduct violation due to their unintentional assumptions. I believe we all have unintentional assumptions, as I stated above they are pragmatically useful; it is action upon them that is the violation. By focusing on observable actions and language, the revised text is likely more straightforward to enforce.

Action-Oriented: The revised text shifts the focus from the unconscious act of making assumptions to the conscious act of expressing or acting upon these assumptions, which is more aligned with the purpose of a code of conduct. This should also make it more enforceable.

Proposed Revision

I suggest addressing those actions taken that stem from unfounded assumptions. Consider:

"Expressing or acting upon unfounded assumptions about the skills or knowledge of others, such as using language that implies the audience is uninformed on a topic (e.g., interjections like 'I can't believe you don't know about [topic]')."

[wareid]

Thank you for the feedback.

Just to provide some important context, one of the main principles of the CoC is "impact over intent", meaning that regardless of the intent of someones actions, we consider the impact more than anything. Most cases of conflict between individuals are spurred by unintentional actions, especially when it comes to something like patronizing language or behaviour.

When someone does or says something that negatively impacts another person, it's not a comfort to know it was unintentional, and we wanted the language in this section to reflect that.