Code of conduct

All participants of WDC are expected to abide by our Code of Conduct online and during in-person events that are hosted and/or associated with WDC.

Our commitment to you

In the interest of fostering an open and welcoming environment, we pledge to make participation in our project and our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, level of experience, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

The Standards

Examples of behavior that contributes to creating a positive environment include:

  • Using welcoming and inclusive language
  • Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
  • Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
  • Referring to people by their preferred pronouns and using gender-neutral pronouns when uncertain

Examples of unacceptable behavior by participants include:

  • Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, public or private harassment
  • Publishing other's private information, such as a physical or electronic address, without explicit permission
  • Not being respectful to reasonable communication boundaries, such as 'leave me alone,' 'go away,' or 'I’m not discussing this with you.'
  • The usage of sexualized language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or advances
  • Assuming or promoting any kind of inequality including but not limited to: age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality and race, personal appearance, religion, or sexual identity and orientation
  • Attacking personal tastes
  • Other conduct which you know could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting.

WDC is dedicated to providing harassment-free virtual and in-person experiences for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any professional venue, including talks. Event participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the event without a refund at the discretion of the event organisers.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

  • Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity, and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, and religion.
  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following
  • Harassing photography or recording
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events
  • Inappropriate physical contact
  • Publishing other's private information, such as a physical or electronic address, without explicit permission
  • Not being respectful to reasonable communication boundaries, such as 'leave me alone,' 'go away,' or 'I’m not discussing this with you.'
  • The usage of sexualised language or imagery and unwelcome sexual attention or advances
  • Assuming or promoting any kind of inequality including but not limited to: age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality and race, personal appearance, religion, or sexual identity and orientation
  • Attacking personal tastes
  • Other conduct which you know could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour

Enforcement

Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, event organisers retain the right to take any actions to keep the event a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

Event organisers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event, or making the environment hostile for any participants.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related social activities. We think people should follow these rules outside event activities, too!

Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible. Event staff can be identified at the beginning of WDC. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our event for everyone. We want you to be happy at our event. People like you make our event a better place.

“Should I report it?”

If you answer “yes” to any of the following, please let us know.

  • Do you feel unsafe or fear that someone else does?
  • Do you have prior conduct-violating experience with members of our community that deters your participation in an event?
  • Are you concerned about the appropriateness of language being used, views being expressed, or the materials being shared at any of our events or via our social media channels?
  • Did you witness something that you are not sure is appropriate based on our code of conduct?

You can make a report either personally or anonymously.

Anonymous Report

You can make an anonymous report here.

We can't follow up on an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence.

Personal Report

You can make a personal report by:

  • Calling or messaging this phone number: +447512336722. This phone number will be continuously monitored for the duration of the event.
  • Contacting a staff member. Staff members can be identified by the WDC t-shirt.
  • For side events, staff will identify themselves at the beginning of each event or will be wearing WDC t-shirts.

When taking a personal report, our staff will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. They may involve other event staff to ensure your report is managed properly. Once safe, we'll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we'll handle it as respectfully as possible, and you can bring someone to support you. You won't be asked to confront anyone and we won't tell anyone who you are.

Our team will be happy to help you contact hotel/venue security, local law enforcement, local support services, provide escorts, or otherwise assist you to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

Additional Contact Information

If you are unable to reach out to staff, you can also email [email protected], which will be monitored for the duration of the event.

Attribution

This Code of Conduct was remixed from: https://miloslav.website/code-of-conduct/ and https://geekfeminism.fandom.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Policy