Craft Content Nashville Code of Conduct
Craft Content Nashville is a community of digital media content creators and enthusiasts.
This community is continued through in-person events including our annual “unconference” held each spring as well as monthly happy hour mixers. Virtually, the community connects by way of a Slack team that is open to all content creators in the Nashville area.
As we continue to build community, our numbers are growing both in size and diversity. A code of conduct is a great way to ensure an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for all, regardless of platform.
All attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organizers, and volunteers at our in-person events and participants and moderators in our virtual forums are required to conform to the code of conduct, which will be enforced by event organizers and channel moderators.
The Short Version
Craft Content Nashville is dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.
All communication should be appropriate for a diverse, professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate, including within presentations or titles of sessions.
Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate in any Craft Content Nashville forum, in-person or online.
Attendees violating these rules may be asked to leave the event at the sole discretion of the event’s organizers. Participants in online forums violating these rules may be removed from the forum at the sole discretion of the forum’s moderators.
Thank you for helping to make Craft Content Nashville a welcoming, friendly environment for all.
The Long Version
Harassment includes offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of presentations or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Sponsors and exhibitors are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, sponsors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Event staff, including volunteers, should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.
Online moderators are also expected to comply to all aspects of this code.
Be careful in the words that you choose. Remember that sexist, racist, and other exclusionary jokes can be offensive to those around you. Excessive swearing and offensive jokes are not appropriate for Craft Content Nashville.
If a participant engages in behavior that violates this code of conduct at an event, the event organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event with no refund. If a participant engages in behavior that violates this code of conduct in an online forum, the forum moderators may also take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or removal from the forum.
Contact Information
If you are being harassed, witness harassment, or have any other concerns, please contact a Craft Content Nashville staffer or moderator.
If the matter is especially urgent, please contact any of our Craft Content Nashville board members:
- Chuck Bryant, President, Technologist Federation of Nashville
- Carla Swank Fox, Co-Founder, Craft Content Nashville
- Chad Taylor, Technologist Federation of Nashville
We value your attendance and participation at our events and within our forums.
License
This Code of Conduct was adapted from the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers, which is under a Creative Commons Zero license.
Inspired byRachel Nabors, Nodevember and PyTennessee.
Staff Procedure for Handling Harassment at Events
This procedure has been adopted from the Ada Initiative’s Guide.
Ensure that you have a good understanding of our Code of Conduct.
In the event of an incident report it is vital that the report is submitted in writing. If the person submitting the incident for review does not have a prepared written account, you may ask to assist them in creating one. The following information should be transcribed:
- Information that identifies the harasser
- The behavior in question
- The approximate time of the behavior in question
- The circumstances leading up to the event
- Information about anyone else involved in the event
Once as much of this information is recorded as possible, an initial response should be prepared. It is important that you remain neutral in your conversation, while making sure to provide a safe space for everyone involved.
DO
- Offer the victim a private place to sit.
- Ask the victim if there is a trusted person or friend that they would like present.
- Ask the victim how you can help them.
- Provide the victim with a list of emergency contacts from the event staff.
- If everyone present is safe, involve law enforcement or security at the victim’s request.
- If the safety of anyone present is threatened, attendees or staff, summon security or police.
DO NOT
- Coerce the victim into withdrawing the complaint.
- Ask the victim for advice on how to handle the situation.
- Ask the victim for input on potential penalties.
After the report is transcribed, immediately notify the unconference chair and/or event coordinator if you have not done so already. The unconference chair and event coordinator need to determine the following:
- What happened?
- What has been done by staff so far to alleviate the situation?
- Who is the offender?
- When the harassment occur?
When the unconference chair and/or event coordinator have been updated on the situation, the alleged harasser should be notified of complaint filed against them. Allow the alleged harasser to submit a written account of their side of the story and let them know what actions will be taken against them.
Things to consider when dealing with a Code of Conduct offender (these are options):
- Warn the harasser to cease their behavior.
- Require the harasser to avoid any interaction and physical proximity to the victim.
- End any talks that violate policy early.
- Do not publish content from talks that violates the policy.
- Do not allow a speaker who violated the policy to give further talks at future events.
- Remove any responsibilities from staff and volunteers who violate the policy.
- Do not allow volunteers or staff who violate the policy to volunteer or work future events.
- Require the harasser to leave the event immediately, not to return.
- Ban the harasser from future events and/or membership of the organization.
- Publishing an account of the harassment, calling for immediate resignation of the harasser from their responsibilities in the event the harasser is in a position of authority.
Give those accused of harassment an option to appeal the report. Until the appeal process in completed, the report stands. Do not encourage an apology from the harasser to the victim.
Anyone who is made aware of an incident should also be informed what rules of the Code of Conduct were violated, and what actions have been taken to address the situation. When speaking to those not directly involved in the incident, respect the privacy of the victim and alleged harasser: do not give out details freely to those not directly involved.
Attendees not involved with the event expressing concern about the incident should be informed to file all comments and concerns in writing to the unconference chair and/or event coordinator. The unconference chair and/or event coordinator will decide how to follow up on these comments and concerns at their discretion.
The unconference chair and/or event coordinator may decide to make one or more public announcements following an incident, should they deem it necessary.
Event Attendee Procedure for Handling Harassment
This procedure has been adopted from the Ada Initiative’s Guide.
Ensure that you have a good understanding of our Code of Conduct.
All unconference staff will be wearing event shirts/jerseys. All staff members will be prepped on how to handle issues that need reporting. All staff members will be familiar with the code of conduct policy and will be able to guide you through the process of handling harassment at the conference.
Note that all reported harassment incidents will be confidential.
Attendees reporting harassment incidents should gather as much information about the incident as possible, preferably in writing. However, we strongly urge attendees not to begin interviewing/interrogating other attendees about the incident.
- If you are the victim(s) of harassment and other attendees who witnessed the incident would like to make their voice heard, each attendee should submit their own account of the incident.
- If you are a witness of a harassment incident, please do not interview/interrogate the victim(s). It is not wrong for a witness to offer assistance/support, but please respect the victim by first asking if they want/need anything before proceeding further.
When gathering information about a harassment incident, please note the following when possible:
- Identifying information of the harasser: name, badge number, key physical features
- The behavior violation in question
- The approximate time of the behavior violation
- The circumstances of the incident
- The information for any other parties involved
Additionally, if the incident threatens the physical safety of anyone, conference attendee or not, dial 911 first, then contact unconference staff.