The NixOS community was shaken this week after nearly the entire moderation team announced their resignation, citing direct interference from the project’s Steering Committee.
In a public statement, the moderators said the SC attempted to override their decisions, effectively undermining the independence of moderation.
“We resign, effective immediately, in protest of the Steering Committee’s ongoing pattern of attempting to interfere with moderation team operation, membership and specific moderation decisions.“
According to the statement, the moderators believe the SC acted outside its intended scope by stepping into disciplinary matters, something that historically had been left to the moderation team.
They argued that this move blurred the separation of powers within the NixOS governance model and created what they called a “serious conflict of interest.”
The issue came to a head after a series of disagreements between moderators and the SC over handling certain community conduct cases. The moderators claimed that the SC dismissed or reversed their decisions without a clear process, making it difficult for them to enforce the community guidelines fairly.
In their resignation letter, the team emphasized that moderation in NixOS should remain an independent function, free from the influence of the project’s political or technical leadership.
They called for immediate constitutional reform, including clearer boundaries between the SC and moderation, to prevent similar conflicts in the future.
For now, the NixOS project finds itself in an unusual situation: the core moderation structure has collapsed, leaving questions about how community conduct will be managed going forward.
Members of the community are already discussing possible next steps, including the formation of a temporary moderation group until new rules are implemented. To date, the Steering Committee has not yet issued a formal response to the resignation.
Oh no, how will the project function without these extremists on a power trip?
Though don’t worry, even as they stepped down they’ve made it clear that they have ensured that their heavy handed enforcement of their own niche and extreme political views will still continue. This is purely performative.