Code of Conduct

A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the social norms and rules and responsibilities of, or proper practices for, an individual, party or organization

Summary

Brainhack Proceedings is dedicated to providing a harassment-free working environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of any form. All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds.

Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any communication and/or talks. Be kind and do not insult or put down others. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for Brainhack Proceedings. Staff violating these rules should be reported to an appropriate line manager.

These are the values to which people in the Brainhack Proceedings community should aspire:

  • Be friendly and welcoming
  • Be patient
    • Remember that people have varying communication styles and that not everyone is using their native language. (Meaning and tone can be lost in translation.)
  • Be thoughtful
    • Productive communication requires effort. Think about how your words will be interpreted.
    • Remember that sometimes it is best to refrain entirely from commenting.
  • Be respectful
    • In particular, respect differences of opinion.
  • Be charitable
    • Interpret the arguments of others in good faith, do not seek to disagree.
    • When we do disagree, try to understand why.
  • Avoid destructive behavior:
    • Derailing: stay on topic; if you want to talk about something else, start a new conversation.
    • Unconstructive criticism: don’t merely decry the current state of affairs; offer—or at least solicit—suggestions as to how things may be improved.
    • Snarking (pithy, unproductive, sniping comments)
    • Discussing potentially offensive or sensitive issues; this all too often leads to unnecessary conflict.
    • Microaggressions: brief and commonplace verbal, behavioral and environmental indignities that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative slights and insults to a person or group.

People are complicated. You should expect to be misunderstood and to misunderstand others; when this inevitably occurs, resist the urge to be defensive or assign blame. Try not to take offense where no offense was intended. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Even if the intent was to provoke, do not rise to it. It is the responsibility of all parties to de-escalate conflict when it arises.

Reporting an incident

Incidents that violate the Code of Conduct are extremely damaging to Brainhack Proceedings, and they will not be tolerated. The silver lining is that, in many cases, these incidents present a chance for the offenders, and the teams at large, to grow, learn, and become better.

The following should be handled by an editor who has been informed of the incident

You can contact editors privately through their emails (see their Github page for links), or using direct messages on the Mattermost Brainhack forum if you have any question, comment or complaint. The important information to gather include the following:

  • Name and team of the participant violating the code of conduct
  • The repository in which the incident occurred
  • The behavior that was in violation
  • The issues featuring the behavior, if on a public issue, or a copy of private correspondences if other channels were used
  • The circumstances surrounding the incident
  • Other people involved in the incident

Attribution

This Code of Conduct was adapted from both Golang and the Golang UK Conference.