Community Conduct & Expectations

On Slack
  • Introduce yourself in the #intros channel so everyone knows who you are
  • Use @here and @channel notifications sparingly, especially in large channels. Before you ping, think: does everyone in here need to be notified? 
  • Use threads to organize conversations.
  • Include your pronouns and chapter in your display name.
  • Do not share developer keys or application secrets in the slack. Even if you delete them they are visible in the slack history. Use an encrypted service for this and only share with other members who need them (when in doubt, ask a project steward).
  • Because of the sensitivity of our work, there is no expectation of privacy in this Slack; if necessary for security reasons admins may (with the consent of the steering committee) review logs (not to mention any party that gets access directly from Slack). There are many other places to have private conversations.
  • Inactive members may be periodically removed from the slack; if you are removed you are free to join again when you are ready to participate.
  • Slack membership is necessary for most NTC work but does not confer any special membership status.
On Calls

Avoid interrupting. If you have a disagreement, wait for your turn to address it.

Respect the facilitator. Call facilitators may use Progressive Stack to lead discussions.  Say or type “stack” in the chat box to get on stack.  People who haven’t spoken already, and people in marginalized or oppressed groups, are given priority on stack.

At All Times
  • Be welcoming, respectful, and empathetic. Recognize that we come from different backgrounds and identities, and while we may not always agree, we must always respect and support each other.  Be kind to yourself, and to your comrades.  We are in the center of a maelstrom; mistakes will be made, nobody is perfect.
  • Ask yourself “Why Am I Talking/Typing?”. We have a limited amount of time on calls, and Slack can have an overwhelming volume of messages. Consider whether or not what you want to say has already been said, is on topic, whether you might be speaking just to hear/see yourself talk, or if there’s a better time and place to express it.
  • Do your best, and assume others are, too.  Try to speak from experience, speak for yourself, and actively listen.  Honor the work of others, avoid defensiveness, and be open to legitimate critique, and challenge oppressive behaviors in ways that help us all grow.  
  • Know whether you need to “move up” or “move back.”  Respect others by recognizing how often and how much you’re contributing.  If you’re participating less, can you step up and take on another task?  If you’re contributing a lot, are you leaving space for others to take part?
  • Have a sense of humor. These are difficult times and we’re in it together.
  • Behaviors that are insulting, demeaning, exclusionary or harassing are not welcome in our community or spaces (public or private).  This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Violence, threats of violence, or violent language directed against another person.
    • Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
    • Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
    • Posting (or threatening to post) other people’s personally identifying information (“doxxing”).
    • Personal insults, especially those that are discriminatory.
    • Unwelcome sexual attention.
    • Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following, online or off.
    • Sustained or repeated disruption of our work (e.g. by spamming, trolling, flaming, baiting or other attention-stealing behavior), online or off.
    • Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.
    • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.