Code of Conduct

This file is the LumoSQL Code of Conduct, Version 1.4 – Updated 9th Jan, 2021

The original is here in the LumoSQL source tree

Heavily adapted and compressed from the large and seemingly repetitive version 3.1 of the Mozilla Participation Guidelines and published by LumoSQL under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.

This Code of Conduct was written because LumoSQL needed it, despite being in its early stages and despite having participated in less than a dozen community events. The Open Source community has shown it can be both highly inclusive but also tolerant of abusive behaviour.

The LumoSQL Project welcomes contributions from everyone who shares the LumoSQL Project Goals This document outlines both expected and prohibited behaviour.

Short Summary

LumoSQL participants are required to be respectful and direct with each other. We will not tolerate bullying, racism, sexism or constant domineering behaviour. No personal attacks, stay focussed on what we are trying to achieve.

The foregoing three sentences sum up everything we really want to say, all the rest of this document is supporting detail.

Who Should Feel Safe?

Everyone, regardless of diversity dimensions including:

• Gender, identity or expression
• Age
• Socioeconomic status
• Sex or sexual orientation
• Family status
• Race and/or caste and/or ethnicity
• National origin
• Religion
• Native or other languages

When Should They Feel Safe?

• Working with other LumoSQL community participants virtually or co-located
• Representing LumoSQL at public events
• Representing LumoSQL in social media

What is Expected?

The following behaviors are expected of all LumoSQL community participants:

Be Respectful

Value each other’s ideas, styles and viewpoints. Disagreement is no excuse for poor manners. Be open to different possibilities and to being wrong. Take responsibility, so if someone says they have been harmed through your words or actions, listen carefully, apologize sincerely, and correct the behaviour.

Be Direct but Professional

We must be able to speak directly when we disagree and when we think we need to improve. We cannot withhold hard truths. Doing so respectfully is hard, doing so when others don’t seem to be listening is harder, and hearing such comments when can be harder still.

Be Inclusive

Seek diverse perspectives. Diversity of views and of people gives better results. Encourage all voices. Help new perspectives be heard and listen actively. If you find yourself dominating a discussion, step back and give other people a chance. Observe how much time is taken up by dominant members of the group.

Appreciate and Accommodate Our Similarities and Differences

Be respectful of people with different cultural practices, attitudes and beliefs. Work to eliminate your own biases, prejudices and discriminatory practices. Think of others’ needs from their point of view. Use preferred titles (including pronouns). Respect people’s right to privacy and confidentiality. Be open to learning from and educating others as well as educating yourself.

Behavior That Will Not Be Tolerated

The following behaviours are unacceptable, as should have been totally obvious already:

Violence and Threats of Violence Are Not Acceptable

Offline or online, including incitement of violence or encouraging a person to commit self-harm. This also includes posting or threatening to post other people’s personal data (“doxxing”) online.

Derogatory Language Is Not Acceptable

Hurtful or harmful language related to any dimension of diversity is not acceptable.

This includes deliberately referring to someone by a gender that they do not identify with, or questioning an individual’s gender identity. If you’re unsure if a word is derogatory, don’t use it. When asked to stop, stop the behaviour in question.

Unwelcome Sexual Attention or Physical Contact Is Not Acceptable

This section is here because it has been proven to be needed. It is not some formality. If you doubt this is needed, you have lead a very sheltered and/or privileged life.

Unwelcome sexual attention online or offline, or unwelcome physical contact is not acceptable. This includes sexualised comments, jokes or imagery as well as inappropriate touching, groping, or sexual advances. This also includes physically blocking or intimidating another person. Physical contact or simulated physical contact (potentially including emojis) without affirmative consent is not acceptable.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour

Bad behaviour from any LumoSQL community participant can’t be tolerated. Intentional efforts to exclude people (except as part of a consequence of these guidelines) from LumoSQL activities are not acceptable.

Reports of harassment/discrimination will be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the people responsible for the safety of the space, event or activity, with a view to taking action.

Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behaviour is expected to stop immediately. Violation of these guidelines can result in you being ask to leave an event or online space, either temporarily or for the duration of the event, or being banned from participation in spaces, or future events and activities.

Participants who abuse the reporting process will be considered to be in violation. False reporting, especially to retaliate or exclude, will not be accepted or tolerated.

Reporting

If you believe you’re experiencing unacceptable behaviour as outlined above please contact one of the current authors.

After receiving a concise description of your situation, they will review and determine next steps.

Please also report to us if you observe someone else in distress or violations of these guidelines.

If you feel you have been unfairly accused of violating these guidelines, please follow the same reporting process.