Tim Peters, the author of the hybrid sorting algorithm Timsort, a member of the Python Core Team, and one of the project's long-term contributors since the early versions of CPython, has been suspended by the Steering Council for three months due to a complaint about a violation of the code of conduct.
Examples of violations that led to the temporary suspension include participation in discussions on changes to the rules allowing the board of directors to remove distinguished members of the Python Software Foundation (Fellows) for conduct code violations through internal voting, without involving other foundation members in the voting process.
Tim questioned this change and suggested that a more thorough investigation should be conducted if there are dissenters among the voters. It is also mentioned that removing members behind closed doors without disclosing the essence of the violation to the community may lead to abuse. Opponents of public discussions about violations of the code of conduct argue that disclosing information may cause additional suffering to community members and individuals affected by the violator's behavior.
The decision to suspend Tim was made based on recommendations provided by the team overseeing the code of conduct (Code of Conduct Workgroup). Among the grievances listed in the recommendation against Tim are: creating an atmosphere of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), which contributed to emotional reactions among discussion participants; references to concepts of reverse sexism and reverse racism; finding humor in an old potentially offensive SNL sketch from the 1970s in today's context; mentioning situations related to sexual harassment and violence (these topics may evoke negative reactions in people who have experienced violence); discussing bans and removals of participants (perceived as disclosing personal information); divergence of views from modern trends in neurodiversity; discussing controversial topics or past conflicts; and making assumptions about the motives and mental health of participants.
Source: opennet.ru
