Docs: suggestions for avoiding PII in docs
What does this MR do?
This MR proposes a new section in the GitLab style guide recommending against using personally identifying information (PII) in code examples.
- It recommends using email addresses ending in
example.com
- It recommends using obviously-fake usernames like
Example User
, with a backup solution of using non-gendered names with common surnames, such asSidney Jones
orDana Doe
.
(I actually feel pretty strongly about the second item - in examples, names are often gendered so that traditionally male names are used in developer documentation, and traditionally female names are used in marketing- and UX-related examples.)
cc @gl-docsteam to get feedback from the rest of the team.
Related issues
- Closes #208372 (closed)
- Some initial cleanup was done in !26133 (merged)
Author's checklist
-
Follow the Documentation Guidelines and Style Guide. -
If applicable, update the permissions table. -
Link docs to and from the higher-level index page, plus other related docs where helpful. -
Apply the documentation label.
Review checklist
All reviewers can help ensure accuracy, clarity, completeness, and adherence to the Documentation Guidelines and Style Guide.
1. Primary Reviewer
-
Review by a code reviewer or other selected colleague to confirm accuracy, clarity, and completeness. This can be skipped for minor fixes without substantive content changes.
2. Technical Writer
-
Optional: Technical writer review. If not requested for this MR, must be scheduled post-merge. To request for this MR, assign the writer listed for the applicable DevOps stage.
3. Maintainer
-
Review by assigned maintainer, who can always request/require the above reviews. Maintainer's review can occur before or after a technical writer review. -
Ensure a release milestone is set. -
If there has not been a technical writer review, create an issue for one using the Doc Review template.
Edited by 🤖 GitLab Bot 🤖