Last updated 02/03/16

We expect everyone contributing to this project to follow this code of conduct.

We created it not because we anticipate any unacceptable behavior, but because we believe that articulating our values and obligations to one another reinforces the already exceptional level of respect among the team, and because having a code provides us with clear avenues to correct our culture should it ever stray from that course.

We commit to enforce and evolve this code over the duration of the project.

Expected behavior:

* Be supportive of each other. 

Offer to help if you see someone struggling or otherwise in need of assistance (taking care not to be patronizing or disrespectful). If someone approaches you looking for help, be generous with your time; if you’re under a deadline, direct them to someone else who may be of assistance. Go out of your way to include people in team jokes or memes, recognizing that we want to build an environment free of cliques.

* Be collaborative. 

Involve your colleagues in brainstorms, hypothesis building, hypothesis testing, literature reviews, sharing experience, logical reasoning, problem solving  and , planning documents, and the like. It’s not only okay to ask for help or feedback often, it’s unacceptable not to do so.

* Be generous and kind in both giving and accepting critique. 

Critique is a natural and important part of our culture. Good critiques are kind, respectful, clear, and constructive, focused on goals and requirements rather than personal preferences. You are expected to give and receive criticism with grace.

* Be humane. 

Be polite and friendly in all forms of communication, especially remote communication, where opportunities for misunderstanding are greater. Use sarcasm carefully. Tone is hard to decipher online; make judicious use of emoji to aid in communication.

* Be considerate.

* Be tolerant.

* Avoid blanket statements without citations and cross-references to bolster to your position (use comments for opinions).

* Respect people’s boundaries.

* Do not make it personal.

Unacceptable behavior:

We are committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment for people of all races, gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, physical abilities, physical appearances, mental abilities, psychiatric diagnoses, education level, socioeconomic backgrounds, nationalities, ages, religions, and beliefs.

We expect that you will refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to: deliberate intimidation; stalking; unwanted photography or recording; sustained or willful disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes; and unwelcome sexual attention.

Furthermore, any behavior or language which is unwelcoming—whether or not it rises to the level of harassment—is also strongly discouraged. Much exclusionary behavior takes the form of microaggressions—subtle put-downs which may be unconsciously delivered. Regardless of intent, microaggressions can have a significant negative impact on victims and have no place in our project.

Other inappropriate behavior:

• Threats

• Slurs

• Pornography

• Spam

• Bullying

• Copyright infringement

• Impersonation of someone else

• Violating someone’s privacy

+ Commercial activity  

Reporting a problem

These guidelines are ambitious, and we’re not always going to succeed in meeting them. When something goes wrong—whether it’s a microaggression or an instance of harassment—there are a number of things you can do to address the situation. Depending on your comfort level and the severity of the situation, here are some suggestions:

Address it directly. 

If you’re comfortable bringing up the incident with the person who instigated it, pull them aside to discuss how it affected you. Be sure to approach these conversations in a forgiving spirit: an angry or tense conversation will not do either of you any good. If you’re unsure how to go about that, try discussing with your manager or with the people and culture team first—they might have some advice about how to make this conversation happen.

If you’re too frustrated to have a direct conversation, there are a number of alternate routes you can take.

Talk to a peer or mentor.

Your colleagues are likely to have personal and professional experience on which to draw that could be of use to you. If you have someone you’re comfortable approaching, reach out and discuss the situation with them. They may be able to advise on how they would handle it, or direct you to someone who can. The flip side of this, of course, is that you should also be available when your colleagues reach out to you.

Email Karen Stern, Executive Director.

She can be reached at: contact@isps-us.org

If you feel you have been unfairly accused of violating this code of conduct, you should contact Karen Stern at the above email address with a concise description of your grievance.

Conclusion

We welcome your feedback on this and every other aspect of this work and everything we do at the project, and we thank you for working with us to make it a safe, enjoyable, and friendly experience for everyone involved in the project and what we do.

Please feel free to leave comments here.

Shortlink: dgraph.org/ISPSUSCofC

Above text is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted from the CORAL Project code of conduct.