Beyond Adoption: What Actually Happens After You Add a Code of Conduct?
MCLD 2002 | Fri 07 Aug 4:30 p.m.–5:15 p.m.
Presented by
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Shurui Zhou
@shuishuiblue
https://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~shuruiz/
Shurui Zhou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her research aims to help distributed and interdisciplinary software and design teams collaborate more efficiently and build high-quality systems. Her team focus on modern open-source collaboration models, such as fork-based development, and on interdisciplinary settings for building AI-enabled and domain-specific software, including scientific computing. We also extend software engineering best practices to support collaborative CAD design.
Shurui Zhou
@shuishuiblue
https://www.eecg.toronto.edu/~shuruiz/
Shurui Zhou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. Her research aims to help distributed and interdisciplinary software and design teams collaborate more efficiently and build high-quality systems. Her team focus on modern open-source collaboration models, such as fork-based development, and on interdisciplinary settings for building AI-enabled and domain-specific software, including scientific computing. We also extend software engineering best practices to support collaborative CAD design.
Abstract
Beyond Adoption: What Actually Happens After You Add a Code of Conduct?
Codes of Conduct (CoCs) have become a common practice in open source communities—often recommended as a way to create welcoming, inclusive environments. But what happens after adoption? Do CoCs actually change how communities grow, evolve, and retain contributors?
In this talk, we present findings from a large-scale empirical study of over 150,000 open source repositories and their Code of Conduct histories. We move beyond the typical “should we adopt a CoC?” debate and instead focus on what practitioners often struggle with in practice: how CoCs are used, maintained, and whether they make a measurable difference.
Key insights
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Adoption is common, maintenance is rare.
Most projects adopt a CoC once and rarely revisit it. Only a small subset treats it as a living document that evolves with the community.
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CoCs act as a signal for newcomers.
Projects with a CoC tend to attract more new contributors—both in the short and long term—suggesting that CoCs serve as an onboarding signal of inclusivity.
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Retention is a different challenge.
While adoption can increase newcomer inflow, it may also lead to short-term disengagement among existing contributors, with little long-term impact on retention.
We also unpack how CoCs evolve when they do change—ranging from simple wording updates to deeper changes in enforcement, scope, and governance—and what these patterns reveal about community priorities.
This talk is designed for maintainers, contributors, and open source leaders who want to move beyond checkbox adoption and think more strategically about governance. In addition to practical takeaways on when to revisit your CoC and how to align it with community practices, the session aims to spark discussion, gather feedback from practitioners, and foster collaboration around improving governance in open source communities.
Beyond Adoption: What Actually Happens After You Add a Code of Conduct?
Codes of Conduct (CoCs) have become a common practice in open source communities—often recommended as a way to create welcoming, inclusive environments. But what happens after adoption? Do CoCs actually change how communities grow, evolve, and retain contributors?
In this talk, we present findings from a large-scale empirical study of over 150,000 open source repositories and their Code of Conduct histories. We move beyond the typical “should we adopt a CoC?” debate and instead focus on what practitioners often struggle with in practice: how CoCs are used, maintained, and whether they make a measurable difference.
Key insights-
Adoption is common, maintenance is rare. Most projects adopt a CoC once and rarely revisit it. Only a small subset treats it as a living document that evolves with the community.
-
CoCs act as a signal for newcomers. Projects with a CoC tend to attract more new contributors—both in the short and long term—suggesting that CoCs serve as an onboarding signal of inclusivity.
-
Retention is a different challenge. While adoption can increase newcomer inflow, it may also lead to short-term disengagement among existing contributors, with little long-term impact on retention.
We also unpack how CoCs evolve when they do change—ranging from simple wording updates to deeper changes in enforcement, scope, and governance—and what these patterns reveal about community priorities.
This talk is designed for maintainers, contributors, and open source leaders who want to move beyond checkbox adoption and think more strategically about governance. In addition to practical takeaways on when to revisit your CoC and how to align it with community practices, the session aims to spark discussion, gather feedback from practitioners, and foster collaboration around improving governance in open source communities.