Code of Conduct

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at our conference are required to agree with the following code of conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event. We are expecting cooperation from all participants to help in ensuring a safe environment for everybody.

The Quick Version

Our conference is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks, workshops, parties, Twitter, and other online media.

 

Please don’t record or stream sessions without asking. Please let us know if you are expecting to have a watch party.

 

Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

**It is important that you read the entire section below to ensure you understand what “harassment” means, and what actions we take when it occurs.**

The Less Quick Version

Some of our events include the option for of-age attendees to consume alcoholic beverages. We expect all attendees to exercise extreme moderation: know your limits and do not even get near them. Attendees who overindulge may be asked to leave the event without a refund and may be barred from attending future events produced by our organization. We always offer soft drinks and try to make those complimentary whenever possible.

Being an adult means being respectful of yourself and of those around you.

We do not tolerate harassment in any form. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, and technology choices. Harassment includes displaying sexual images in public spaces, deliberately intimidating others, stalking, following, showing, or creating harassing photography or recordings, creating sustained disruptions of talks or other events, engaging in unwanted physical contact, and engaging in unwelcome sexual attention. If you are making another attendee uncomfortable, you are probably engaging in harassment.

Participants asked, by anyone, to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Sponsors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes or otherwise create a sexualized environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund. In most cases, out of an abundance of caution, participants engaging in harassing behavior will be asked to leave the event pending further investigation.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified as they’ll be wearing branded name pins. In most cases, we prefer that you to speak with our CEO or another senior officer of the company, but we will respect your wishes if you prefer to speak to another staff member or volunteer.

Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance. However, if you have been harassed, the only action we will take without your permission is to have the harassing individual removed from the event, should you choose to identify them to us. Any other assistance we provide you will be at your request only. Our staff may ask you to provide a written report of what happened, but at your discretion, you may instead provide a verbal report. We do ask our staff and volunteers to make their own written reports so that we can accurately understand and preserve what you tell us. We will involve as few of our staff as possible to protect everyone’s privacy as best we can.

Be aware that our organization is not equipped or trained to interview witnesses, gather evidence, or perform other investigative activities. In an effort to preserve your rights and options, we will not engage in activities that are best left to professionals, such as law enforcement officers. To the maximum degree possible, we follow the guidance offered on https://geekfeminism.wikia.org/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Responding_to_reports, and our CEO or other organization officer is our designated Duty Officer. It is not our policy to make general announcements when harassment occurs unless we believe there is a clear and present danger to the safety of one or more people, and in that case, we will prefer to follow the advice and instruction of law enforcement officers.

Our conference is using a third party for video capture and production of select sessions which will be posted on PowerShell.org’s social media accounts. Video capture for personal or commercial use otherwise is expressly forbidden without the written consent of The DevOps Collective and all necessary local licenses and permits.

We expect participants to follow these rules at conference and workshop venues and conference-related social events.