2  Code of Conduct

Preamble

The Cloud-SPAN team are dedicated to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all people, regardless of background or identity. As such, we do not tolerate behaviour that is disrespectful to our community members or that excludes, intimidates, or causes discomfort to others. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on characteristics that include, but are not limited to: gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, citizenship, nationality, ethnic or social origin, pregnancy, familial status, veteran status, genetic information, religion or belief (or lack thereof), membership of a national minority, property, age, education, socio-economic status, technical choices, and experience level.

Everyone who participates in Cloud-SPAN project activities is required to conform to this Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct applies to all spaces managed by the Cloud-SPAN project including, but not limited to, in person focus groups and workshops, and communications online via GitHub. By participating, contributors indicate their acceptance of the procedures by which the project core development team resolves any Code of Conduct incidents, which may include storage and processing of their personal information.

Our Code of Conduct

We are confident that our community members will together build a supportive and collaborative atmosphere at our events and during online communications. The following bullet points set out explicitly what we hope you will consider to be appropriate community guidelines:

  • Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences. Do not engage in homophobic, racist, transphobic, ageist, ableist, sexist, or otherwise exclusionary behaviour.

  • Use welcoming and inclusive language. Exclusionary comments or jokes, threats or violent language are not acceptable. Do not address others in an angry, intimidating, or demeaning manner. Be considerate of the ways the words you choose may impact others. Be patient and respectful of the fact that English is a second (or third or fourth!) language for some participants.

  • Do not harass people. Harassment includes unwanted physical contact, sexual attention, or repeated social contact (see below for an extended list of behaviours we consider to be harassment). Know that consent is explicit, conscious and continuous—not implied. If you are unsure whether your behaviour towards another person is welcome, ask them. If someone tells you to stop, do so.

  • Respect the privacy and safety of others. Do not take photographs of others without their permission. Do not share other participant’s personal experiences without their express permission. Note that posting (or threatening to post) personally identifying information of others without their consent (“doxing”) is a form of harassment.

  • Be considerate of others’ participation. Everyone should have an opportunity to be heard. In update sessions, please keep comments succinct so as to allow maximum engagement by all participants. Do not interrupt others on the basis of disagreement; hold such comments until they have finished speaking.

  • Don’t be a bystander. If you see something inappropriate happening, speak up. If you don’t feel comfortable intervening but feel someone should, please feel free to ask a member of the Code of Conduct response team for support.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Examples of unacceptable behaviour by community members at any project event or platform include:

  • written or verbal comments which have the effect of excluding people on the basis of membership of any specific group
  • causing someone to fear for their safety, such as through stalking, following, or intimidation
  • violent threats or language directed against another person
  • the display of sexual or violent images
  • unwelcome sexual attention
  • nonconsensual or unwelcome physical contact
  • sustained disruption of talks, events or communications
  • insults or put downs
  • sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or exclusionary jokes
  • excessive swearing
  • incitement to violence, suicide, or self-harm
  • continuing to initiate interaction (including photography or recording) with someone after being asked to stop
  • publication of private communication without consent

CloudSPAN prioritises marginalised people’s safety over privileged people’s comfort. We will not act on complaints regarding:

  • ‘Reverse’ -isms, including ‘reverse racism,’ ‘reverse sexism,’ and ‘cisphobia’.
  • Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you.”
  • Communicating in a ‘tone’ you don’t find congenial.
  • Criticism of racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions.

Incident Reporting Guidelines

Contact points

If you feel able to, please contact Emma Rand by email at emma.rand@york.ac.uk

Alternate contact points

If you do not feel comfortable contacting Emma Rand, please report an incident to Evelyn Greeves by email at evelyn.greeves@york.ac.uk

Acknowledgements

This Code was adapted from the Turing Way Code of Conduct, which itself draws from the Carpentries and Alan Turing Institute Data Study Group codes of conduct. Both are licensed for reuse under a CC BY 4.0 CA license.

Material was additionally drawn from the R Community Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group, also licensed under CC BY 4.0 CA.