Code of Conduct

As with many Open Source projects, and the greater FLOSS community, the Data Practices community is comprised of a diverse group of contributors and consumers from around the globe. We find the contributions, collaborations, and mentorships within our community to be the essential lifeblood of our project and appreciate the efforts of those who participate to nurture and grow those, and all other aspects of our community.

However, when a large and sufficiently diverse group of people work together, there are often cultural, communication, and compatibility issues. In order to minimize conflict, and provide a framework for resolution, we have a brief code of conduct that we ask all participants in the Data Practices community adhere to. These rules should apply to everyone, regardless of station within the community, and anyone can serve to remind, or ask the Steering Committee to help resolve issues.

No list is ever exhaustive, so we encourage members of the Data Practices community to adhere to the spirit, rather than the letter, of this code, as that is how it will be enforced. Places where this code may be particularly applicable are real-time chat, mailing lists, events, conferences, meetups, online events, and other direct interactions within the community. Any violations, especially continued or flagrant offenses, may impact an individual’s (or organization’s) ability to participate within the Data Practices community.

If you feel that someone is in violation of the code of conduct, whether in letter or in spirit, we request that you email as detailed a description as possible of the offense and offending party/parties to community@data.world. If you have questions, concerns, or any other inquiries please feel free to contact any member of the Steering Committee directly..

Rules

• Be friendly and patient. We were all new or suffered from a lack of knowledge at one point in time. Please try to remember what it felt like to be on that end, and treat people accordingly.
• Be welcoming. We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.
• Be helpful. By helping others to learn our entire ecosystem is enriched. We encourage members of the Data Practices community to mentor each other and help to raise the general level of knowledge in the community whenever possible.
• Be considerate. Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take will affect users and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions. Remember that we’re a world-wide community, so you might not be communicating in someone else’s primary language.
• Be respectful. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the Data Practices community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the Data Practices community.
• Be careful in the words that you choose. We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren’t acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Violent threats or language directed against another person.
  • Discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
  • Posting (or threatening to post) other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”).
  • Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.
  • Unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
  • Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.
• When we disagree, try to understand why. Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time and the Data Practices community is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of Data Practice comes from its varied community, people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.

Consequences

Except in flagrant or otherwise egregious cases, the first infraction will result in a verbal warning. Everyone slips up or acts out of frustration at times, we just ask that you work to not repeat the behavior. A second infraction (or more flagrant first offense, as determined by the Steering Committee) will have an anonymized summary of the interaction sent to the mailing list as a way to educate the community and serve as a reminder that adverse behavior will not be tolerated. A third infraction (or especially egregious first offense, as determined by the Steering Committee) will result in temporary suspension from all avenues of Data Practices community participation for 4 weeks. This will include, but is not limited to, real-time chat, mailing lists, Data Pracitces events, online events, and partner events. Continued infractions will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, but could result in permanent suspension from the Data Practices community.