Code of User Rights

The Code of User Rights is a set of user rights, the developer and user acknowledge, grant, and bind themselves to.

Preface

This document is still under development, it should in now way, shape or, form be distributed in it's current state.

Intro

The Code of User Rights is a response to a set of characteristics or traits that represent contractual obligations/mandates found within certain "Code of Conduct" (i.e. COC) agreements. They are:

• Extension of the COC to include common end users, rather than solely binding contributors
• Inclusion of political idealology.
• Wording or phrasing considered to be politically exclusionary.
• Threats of public shaming, doxing, ostrasizing, and/or other forms of harassment.
• Obligations/Mandates that result in surrending or compromising an inalienable human right.
• Attempts to supress freedom of expression, speech and discourse.

Preliminary History

The Code of Conduct has strayed far from its original intended purpose and humble origin. Historically the code of conduct applied only to development team members, or contributors. It was primarily interested in maintaining cohesiveness of behavior within the development community, and establish patterns of acceptable intercommunication between team members. This stands at contrast to the modern interpretation, which applies to anyone who uses the code, developers and regular end users alike. It attempts to establish a social contract with users binding them to a set of ethical values that the user must obey or risk public shuning/shaming if not perscribed to. This set of ethical values are not universally held, but rather are political precepts, thus by establishing a social contract enforces a set of ideals that the user may or may not ascribe to. Naturally, leading to a reduction in diversity of thought, and suppression of differing viewpoints. By limiting the availability of options in one's mind, thought itself becomes constrained to the detriment innovation, and barriers to the accessibility of technology are soundly established.

The Open Source technological movement was founded upon the reduction or demolision of barriers preventing accessibility of computational technology for the embetterment of computer science. It was the intent for the Code of Conduct to encourage and foster this free exchange of ideas and diversify thought, not stiffle it. Thus in order maintain our own liberties as diverse individuals, we must establish a code of user rights, to reinforce our own individuality and excercise freedom of faculties.

Proposal

Here lays a groundwork for formulation of the code of user rights. It shall be recognized as a work of progress:

1. The freedom needed for an uninhibited and unrestrained exchange of ideas and concepts within the mind of the user.
2. Enables the exchange of these ideas and concepts via the freedom of speech.
3. Respects the diversity of individuals while discouraging deviance, disrespect, violence, hate, and ill treatment.
4. Garuantees the right of the individual to possess and express an opinion without fear of backlash or social shunning.
5. In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we as contributors and maintainers pledge to making participation in our project and our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.