Let's not get distracted by an extraneous provocation. As you can imagine, this has come up frequently when people run into that bit, and tends to lead to the same discussion over and over (and ultimately, religious flamewar).

There's a new site guideline about this actually:

"Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article and rush to the thread to complain about it. Find something interesting to comment about instead."

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29461959.

> "Please don't pick the most provocative thing in an article and rush to the thread to complain about it. Find something interesting to comment about instead."

So you agree it's a provocative thing. Good, that's all I meant to convey.

Yes, but we're specifically asking you not to convey it, for the same reason that one doesn't convey lit matches to dry forests.

> No one is required to follow The Rule...[The SQLite developers] view The Rule as their promise to all SQLite users of how the developers are expected to behave. This is a one-way promise, or covenant. In other words, the developers are saying: "We will treat you this way regardless of how you treat us."

I don't see a problem here, despite my own disinterest in following the Christian faith or any other. It's not hard to distinguish what's applicable from what's not in the verbatim quote of the Rule as given in the document, and if I had maintained my childhood Catholicism I too might demur from merely excerpting a saint.

Had anyone involved with SQLite mistreated someone for not happening to share their faith, I would expect it quite quickly to become public knowledge at least in the community including HN. I haven't heard such a report. Have you?

It put me off until I read that part about the code that's laid out being optional.

They're not forcing anything on anyone. I'm perfectly fine with that.

In fact, that would go against their code of ethics.

While true, I suspect this may not reliably qualify as a compelling argument for someone disposed to raise prima facie concerns about the same code of ethics because it makes open reference to deity.

Then again, I suppose an argument from behavior may also be less likely to convince an interlocutor more inclined to concern with what someone else believes than with how they actually behave. So it goes.

The code of ethics is a 1500 year old "code of ethics" meant to govern the lives of benedictine monks: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._Richard_Hipp

That might provide some context.

edit: haha, this is what I get for skimming the wikipedia article. He has a PhD in computer science, but the full "doctorate of philosophy" is written out instead of abbreviation on that wikipedia article. My pattern matcher needs tuning, apparently. Thanks to those who pointed this out.

His PhD is in Computer Science.

I think you are taking what “Ph.D.” stands for to be his actual area of study.

Okay that's embarassing. Serves me right for just skimming his article. Thanks for the correction, edited my post.

Not quite April fool's, but it's definitely a joke, but one with a practical purpose.

> This document continues to be used for its original purpose - providing a reference to fill in the "code of conduct" box on supplier registration forms.

> [we] have pledged to govern [...] in accordance with the "instruments of good works" from chapter 4 of The Rule of St. Benedict (hereafter: "The Rule"). This code of ethics has proven its mettle in thousands of diverse communities for over 1,500 years, and has served as a baseline for many civil law codes since the time of Charlemagne.

So on paper, this makes it a very good code of conduct - something very safe to put on a supplier registration form.

> No one is required to follow The Rule, to know The Rule, or even to think that The Rule is a good idea. The Founder of SQLite believes that anyone who follows The Rule will live a happier and more productive life, but individuals are free to dispute or ignore that advice if they wish.

It's a reproduction of Saint Benedict's code of conduct for overseeing monks; it's not going to be 1:1.

It might be soft evangelism but it's not being used for discrimination.

>must be some sort of forgotten April fool's remnant.

I don't think so. His homepage has a couple of religious references, and you can find stuff like this in the tests: https://github.com/sqlite/sqlite/blob/37d4ec86bfa78c31732132...

That's just because you disagree. Go read the Rust code of ethics, it may be more up your alley.

Did you read 1. History and 2. Purpose?

SQLite code of conduct, §17: bury the dead.

Hmmm… ok.

To be fair it's better than leaving them laying around in the open

It isn't. The SQLite team is 3ish people who don't accept outside contributions and are all Christan.