Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct

Latency is a community conference aimed at progressive IT Leaders, Developers, Testers and Product Owners. A successful conference is based on diversity of attendees and opinions, so we are committed to ensuring that it is a safe, enjoyable and thriving environment for everyone. As a community, we expect any participant to act according to the following ground rules. They ensure that everyone within the community is clear about the behaviour that is expected of them, and that newcomers know what kind of environment they can expect to find.

Enforcing this code of conduct

If you experience or observe a violation of this code of conduct, or have any other concerns, please contact the moderators at: contact@latencyconf.io. We are there to help you. Your reports will be taken seriously, treated in confidence and will not be dismissed or argued with. As a member of the community, you are also encouraged to help others act according to the following principles.

Guiding principles

  • We are welcoming. We believe that a diverse community is stronger, more vibrant and has more potential contributors and more sources for ideas. We aim for more diversity. We strive to welcome people of all backgrounds, identities, and levels of experience. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, colour, 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.

  • We are kind. We are warm, courteous, patient, respectful and encouraging. Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time. These differences are where we can learn the most — if everyone thought the same all the time life would be boring! We’re respectful of other people’s opinions, experience, their skills, their commitments and their efforts. We make an effort to be compassionate towards one another, to assume good intention of others, and to seek to understand first before seeking to be understood.

  • We are tolerant. A diverse group of people has a diverse set of boundaries about what is OK. Sometimes one of us may make a mistake, and do something that inadvertently causes offence. When we observe this happen, we try to give the offender feedback quickly, clearly and constructively. We try to offer them the opportunity to maintain their dignity in the situation, to learn from and rectify their mistake.

  • We do not tolerate unpleasant behaviour. If someone repeatedly or deliberately acts in an offensive way, we will take decisive action to prevent any further harm.

What is not OK

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 all of our daily interactions more straightforward and enriching.

  • Aggressive behaviour, whether in words or actions, whether overt or passive, is not OK.

  • In other words: don’t be mean, rude, demeaning, condescending or demanding.

  • Don’t discriminate against anyone.

  • Don’t shame people for their mistakes or inexperience.

  • Don’t harass people, sexually or otherwise.

  • Don’t dismiss people who react negatively to someone’s behaviour, especially your own.

  • Sponsors of Latency are also subject to this Code of Conduct. In particular, sponsors are required to not use sexualized images, activities, or other material which is in violation of this Code of Conduct

Who do these rules apply to?

These rules apply to anyone involved in the Latency community, including presenters, organisers and attendees at Latency.

Where does this apply?

The rules listed above apply to all Latency conferences

Consequences

If someone engages in any behaviour violating this Code of Conduct, the moderators may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender in private or in public, expulsion from the community, exclusion from any interaction and loss of all rights in this community. Decisions about consequences of violations of this Code of Conduct are made by the moderators and will not necessarily be discussed with the person responsible for the violation.

Questions or feedback

If you have any questions or feedback on this Code of Conduct, we’re happy to hear from you.

Who are the moderators?

The current moderators of the Latency community are:

  • Sarah Wright

  • Hamish Tedeschi

  • Tania Miller-Jones

  • Ross McKillop

  • Ben Van Vliet

  • Karen Cheng

  • Claire Wojturski

You can contact us by email at contact@latencyconf.io.

References / inspiration

We’re grateful to these references for providing us with ideas and inspiration for this document: