WiscNet is committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment for participants in our community, in person or online. We’ve written this code of conduct not because we expect bad behavior -- in our experience, you are overwhelmingly kind and civil -- but because we believe a clear code of conduct is a necessary part of a community space.
All participants in WiscNet Commons are required to comply with the following Code of Conduct. Administrators (see below for definition of administrators) will enforce this code throughout the service ("Team").
The short of it
Be respectful of other people; ask people to stop if you are bothered; respect privacy; understand most of us are not-for-profit; and if you can’t resolve an issue contact the administrators. If you are being a problem, you may be asked to leave this space.
The long of it
Our guiding principle with this code is to ensure and enforce the safety of WiscNet community members from harassment. We want to provide a safe place for discussion, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas that is supportive and open to all. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for all those who participate in our community, at WiscNet Connections, WiscNet events, or in our online spaces, as well as the consequences of unacceptable behavior.
If you believe someone is violating this Code of Conduct (someone has harassed you or otherwise treated you inappropriately) please notify an Administrator as soon as possible or email conduct@wiscnet.net.
Respect
WiscNet Commons is an online space that simply extends the idea of WiscNet membership: we teach and learn together, we take care of and help one another, we treat each other well.
As always, we recognize and celebrate the individuality of each WiscNet member, and deeply value the diversity of skills, talents, experiences, cultures, and opinions that they bring to our community.
WiscNet Commons is an inclusive environment, based on treating all individuals respectfully, regardless of gender or gender identity (including transgender status), sexual orientation, age, disability, nationality, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or career path.
We value and expect respectful behavior.
Respectful behavior includes but is not limited to:
Be considerate, kind, constructive, and helpful.
Avoid demeaning, discriminatory, harassing, hateful, or physically threatening behavior, speech, and imagery.
If you’re not sure, ask someone instead of assuming. We are here to help.
Don’t be a bystander. Role model respectful behaviour, but also help to address disrespect when you see it.
Disrespectful behavior outside this community may be considered a violation of this code of conduct at the discretion of the administrators.
Privacy
This community is not a public space. However, no one has signed an Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) to participate, and you should not presume anything you say here will remain private, so act accordingly. Protect IP and legally-protected information.
If you want to publicly disclose anything discussed here, we ask that you ask the originator of the content for permission. If you don’t receive consent in a reasonable period of time, we ask that you credit the “WiscNet Commons Slack.”
Not-for-Profit
This community is mostly not a place for commercial activity such as recruiting or marketing except in channels that could be created for that purpose (e.g., #jobs, #consulting-gigs, #conferences).
Participate in this community by contributing, teaching, learning, and even lurking. Do not participate by trying to sell things. If you are wondering where you can post commercial things, ask an administrator.
Resolve Peacefully and Apologize for Mistakes
We believe online communities can be deeply valuable and have incredible return on investment, from the knowledge shared to the relationships built. Peer-to-peer discussions, feedback, and corrections can help build a stronger, safer, and more welcoming community.
If you see someone violating any part of this Code of Conduct, we urge you to respectfully dissuade them from such behavior. Expect that others in the community wish to help keep the community respectful, and welcome your input in doing so.
If you experience disrespectful behavior toward yourself or anyone else and feel in any way unable or unwilling to respond or resolve it respectfully (for any reason), please immediately bring it to the attention of an administrator. We want to hear from you about anything that you feel is disrespectful, threatening, or just something that could make someone feel distressed in any way. We will listen and work to resolve the matter.
Should you catch yourself behaving disrespectfully, or be confronted as such, listen intently, own up to your words and actions, and apologize accordingly. No one is perfect, and even well-intentioned people make mistakes. What matters is how you handle them and that you avoid repeating them in the future.
Consequences
If you are unable to resolve a situation peacefully, please contact an administrator.
If the administrators determine that a human is violating any part of this Code of Conduct, the administrators may take any action they deem appropriate within this space, up to and including expulsion and exclusion from the community.
As administrators, we will seek to resolve conflicts peacefully and in a manner that is positive for the community. We can’t foresee every situation, and thus if in the administrator's judgment the best thing to do is to ask a disrespectful individual to leave, we will do so.
FAQ
Why have you adopted a Code of Conduct for WiscNet Commons, WiscNet Connections, and WiscNet events?
The WiscNet community is amazing. If you’re been part of it for awhile, you’ll notice that this Code of Conduct matches what we already do. Think of this as documentation: we’re taking implicit expectations about behavior and making them explicit.
This isn’t just a growing trend among conferences, events, or online spaces: we’re doing this because WiscNet is growing. That’s fantastic and we want nothing more than to see it continue, and now is the time to be clear about our values. A Code of Conduct is a message to people -- especially those who feel they are “others” -- about what to expect, that they can feel welcome and safe, and that we care.
We know the WiscNet community is open, friendly, professional, and kind. We want to make sure everyone else knows it too.
What does it mean to "adopt" a Code of Conduct?
For WiscNet, it doesn’t mean large changes. We think that this code merely upholds behavior we already see, almost without exception, from the WiscNet community. We expect that most people will simply continue to behave in the awesome way they have for years, in person and online.
What happens if someone violates the Code of Conduct?
Our intent is that the anyone in the community can stand up for this code, and direct people who are unaware to this document. If that doesn't work, or if you need more help, you can contact a WiscNet Commons administrator in Slack or email conduct@wiscnet.net
Why do we need a Code of Conduct?
Most people are fundamentally good and don’t need to be told to not harass peers and others. But harassment happens. So we want to be clear about our expectations. Maintaining a code of conduct means we have to consider and articulate what kind of community we want to foster. It also serves as a signpost to people looking to be part of the the WiscNet community that we feel these values are important.
Questions?
Contact Sarah Miller
Credits for the sources and inspiration of this code of conduct go to Django, SRCCON, Citizen Code of Conduct, Theorizing the Web, and Rands Leadership Slack.