Code of Conduct#

Like the technical community as a whole, the SmartSim community is made up of a mixture of professionals and volunteers. Members have different roles and work on every aspect of the mission - including mentorship, teaching, and communication.

Diversity is one of our huge strengths, but it can also lead to tension due to differing worldviews. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to when they are participating within this community and project. These rules apply equally to all members regardless of their authority or position within the community.

This is not an exhaustive list of things that you cannot do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it is intended - a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us, the technical community, and usergroups we hope to guide new speakers to.

The code of conduct applies to all communication whether in person or virtual. This includes: Slack, GitHub Issues, StackOverflow issues, and other forums such as Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.

  • Be welcoming, friendly, and patient.

  • Be considerate. Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you make will affect users and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions.

  • Be respectful. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behaviour 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 is important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the SmartSim community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the SmartSim community.

  • Be careful in the words that you choose. Sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes and comments can be offensive to those around you. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate for the community.

  • When we disagree, we try to understand why. Disagreements, both social and technical, are a natural part of collaborative development. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we are different. The strength of SmartSim 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 does not mean that they are wrong. Do not forget that it is human to err and blaming each other does not get us anywhere. Rather, offer to help resolve issues and to help learn from mistakes.

Original text courtesy of the Speak Up! project.