Code of Conduct

Purpose

A primary goal of Creative Commons is to be inclusive to the largest number of participants, with the most varied and diverse backgrounds possible. As such, we are committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion (or lack thereof).

This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you can’t do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it’s intended - a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us and the technical communities in which we participate.

This code of conduct outlines our expectations for all those who participate in our Slack community, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behavior.

We invite all those who participate in Creative Commons activities to help us create safe and positive experiences for everyone.

Creating a Welcoming and Inclusive Culture

Communities mirror the societies in which they exist and positive action is essential to counteract the many forms of inequality and abuses of power that exist in society.

If you see someone who is making an extra effort to ensure our community is welcoming, friendly, and encourages all participants to contribute to the fullest extent, please recognize their efforts.

Expected Behavior

The following behaviors are expected and requested of all community members:

• Be friendly and patient.
• 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, color, 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 considerate. Your work can 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 Creative Commons community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the CC 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 CC is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of CC 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 of Unacceptable Behavior

Unacceptable behavior from any community member, including staff and those with decision-making authority, will not be tolerated.

Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.

If a community member engages in unacceptable behavior, we may take any action deemed appropriate, up to and including a temporary ban or permanent expulsion from the community without warning.

Reporting Guidelines

If you are subject to or witness unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please notify us as soon as possible by emailing info@creativecommons.org or pinging a CC staff member on Slack.

Addressing Issues

Only permanent resolutions (such as bans) may be appealed. To appeal a decision, contact the Creative Commons staff at info@creativecommons.org and we will review your question.

License and attribution

This Code of Conduct is directly adapted from the Stumptown Syndicate and distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license.

Major portions of text derived from the Django Code of Conduct and the Geek Feminism Anti-Harassment Policy.