Code of Conduct
We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, welcoming, and harassment-free experience for everyone.
We try to cultivate a community with shared values, where people are comfortable exploring ideas, asking questions, and saying things like “I don’t understand” or “Why”. Assume competence in the people you interact with. There are no stupid questions.
Be considerate in speech and actions, and actively seek to acknowledge and respect the boundaries of people who participate in our activities.
Take care of each other. Alert Michael Sachs if you notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or a potential violation of this Code of Conduct, even if it seems inconsequential. If Michael is the subject of the Alert or has a conflict of interest, please inform Naomi Wray, the director of the centre.
Expected Behavior
All participants are expected to behave in accordance with professional standards, with both this Code of Conduct as well as their respective employer’s policies governing appropriate workplace behavior, and all applicable laws.
We’re committed to providing welcome environments where people behave according to professional standards. We expect everyone to contribute to a welcoming, civil, safe, and tolerant environment.
Examples of encouraged behavior that contributes to a positive environment include:
Using welcoming and inclusive language
Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
Focusing on what is best for everyone in the group
Showing empathy towards other participants
Unacceptable Behavior
We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Adherence to our Code of Conduct requires refraining from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech including, but not limited to:
offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), nationality, native language, or technology choices
unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, or career stage
sustained or willful disruption of discussions, talks, or other events, including online discussion.
deliberate intimidation
continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease
unwanted photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes
pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others
inappropriate physical contact without consent or after a request to stop. In virtual settings, inappropriate simulated physical contact used without consent, such as textual descriptions like “hug” or “backrub” or emojis representing such contacts.
stalking or following behavior, including in virtual settings, such as persistent unwanted direct messages, sending unwanted pictures or malware links, or logging online activity for harassment purposes.
threats of violence or incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm
use of sexual or discriminatory imagery, comments, or jokes
unwelcome sexual attention, which can include inappropriate questions of a sexual nature, asking for sexual favors, or repeatedly asking for dates or contact information.
deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from intentional abuse
deliberate misgendering or use of “dead” or rejected names
non-consensual publication of non-harassing private communication, including screenshots of private discussion channels or direct messages.
Consequences of Code of Conduct Violations
Participants who are asked to stop any inappropriate behavior are expected to comply immediately. This applies to any events and platforms, either online or in-person. If a participant engages in behavior that violates this code of conduct, the leadership may warn the offender, ask them to leave the group or meeting, or engage higher-level leadership and/or law enforcement to investigate the Code of Conduct violation and impose appropriate sanctions.
Potential responses include:
ban from the meetings and virtual spaces in order to stop the inappropriate behavior;
a formal warning to stop the harassing behavior;
expulsion from the group;
cancellation or early termination of employment or other contributions to the group.
Reporting Guidelines
If you experience or witness unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please submit a report to the software coordinator Michael Sachs as soon as possible either by email or by contacting him directly. If Michael has a conflict of interest with a report either directly or via a close personal relationship, an alternative point of contact is Naomi Wray, the director of the centre. In that case, Michael will be recused and will not have access to the content or process of the report followup.
If you are planning to attend an upcoming event or join an online channel, and have concerns regarding another individual who may be present, please submit a report as described above. We will work with you to take precautions to ensure your comfort and safety. These precautions may include: providing an escort, preparing onsite event staff, and/or providing on-site contact cell phone numbers for immediate contact. In some cases, we may take action to prevent a harasser from participating in the event.
Credits
This Code of Conduct has been influenced by and adapted from the rOpenSci Code of Conduct (https://ropensci.org/code-of-conduct/).