Assholes can negatively impact projects and communities in several ways. Their behavior causes targets to decrease effort, work less time, and drop in quality, and it can cause witnesses to quit as well. It also spreads as their behavior is discussed, amplifying the problem. Projects can see reduced innovation, cooperation, and ability to attract top talent as a result. While confrontation may seem necessary, it is usually better to establish clear expectations, provide a way for people to give feedback, and remove people from the community if needed to accomplish goals rather than trying to fix them. Preventing problems requires quantifying social impacts, setting high standards for behavior, and making the culture and values clear from the start.
32. TCA: Total Cost of Asshole Team lead Developer relations team Project leadership Recruiting & training new developers Targets & witnesses __________________ Total Cost of Asshole + + + +
33. An asshole is incompetent Flickr: escapo Social and technical ability are orthogonal. One never balances out the other.
41. Flickr: mount_otz Provide expectations Nobody knows your culture when they start. Do you want them to learn it from an asshole? Provide a code of conduct.
Why do I think you came to this talk? Why am I giving it?
Community is critical Best predictor of long-term viability How do you attract new contributors and users? Your brand. Function of your ability to create results. Key point: Ability to accomplish your mission
Good to Great Continual improvement – greatness is a process Metrics Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? – come back to this later
Intent to harm not required Difference between how a person treats the powerless and the powerful is a great judge of character
Pattern! States vs traits. Consistency across places and times Tolerance builds up over time. You don't realize who's an asshole.
Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? Negative interactions 5x worse than positive
Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? Negative interactions 5x worse than positive
Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? Negative interactions 5x worse than positive
Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? Negative interactions 5x worse than positive
Are a few assholes balanced by a few amazing people? Negative interactions 5x worse than positive
Male targets: reciprocity Female targets: avoidance (Pearson & Porath) – pic: fight vs flight Targets hold leaders at fault Role models
Male targets: reciprocity Female targets: avoidance (Pearson & Porath) – pic: fight vs flight Targets hold leaders at fault Role models
External cooperation & recruitment: based on reputation, caused by word of mouth Recruitment is different in FLOSS from biz; everyone has the power
Refusal to confront reality Dreadful stats - 50% of targets considered quitting, 12% of targets quit. One asshole, multiple targets. Reputation: word of mouth. Cascade
Technical and social ability are orthogonal. A good coder has one; a good developer has both.
Personal interactions Modeling Reporting: encourage; have a place; respond; rapid feedback Is it your job to change them?
Personal interactions Modeling
Reporting: encourage; have a place; respond; rapid feedback
Is it your job to change them?
Culture is like molasses, not like code. Problem of change in diffuse organizations: persuasion, shared interests, reputation
Be quantitative
Recruitment standards – is “good” good enough?
Clear expectations set a baseline: code of conduct