Values & Code of Conduct

The community of MinneWebCon attendees and speakers come from a wide range of industries, backgrounds, and experiences. This document serves as an affirmation of the values that have made this grassroots community successful and vibrant, and outlines a code of conduct to either clarify expectations or communicate to new attendees and speakers what we are all about.

WE VALUE OUR COMMUNITY

We want all attendees at MinneWebCon to have an awesome experience, both in and out of formal conference sessions. The purpose of this document is not to restrict the diversity of ideas and expression in our community; rather, it’s to raise awareness of the potential for actions that could alienate valuable members — and potential members — of the community.

WE ARE CONSIDERATE

MinneWebCon is an event that attracts people from a wide variety of backgrounds. We acknowledge that communication can often be complicated and encourage everyone to consider both the impact of their actions on those with different backgrounds and experiences and the honest intentions of those who may have unknowingly caused offense.

WE ARE WELCOMING

One of the greatest strengths of the MinneWebCon community is our inclusiveness. Making all attendees feel welcome and included at MinneWebCon is everyone’s job, including attendees and speakers. If you are speaking at MinneWebCon and want to ask questions about this, please contact the conference director, Antoinette Smith.

WE ARE RESPECTFUL

Sponsors, volunteers, speakers, attendees, and other participants should strive to treat all people with dignity and respect, regardless of their culture, religion, physical appearance, disability, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

WE ARE COLLABORATIVE

If and when misunderstandings occur, we encourage people to work things out between themselves whenever possible. People are encouraged to take responsibility for their words and actions and listen to constructively-presented criticism with an open mind, courtesy, and respect.

WHEN WE DISAGREE, WE CONSULT OTHERS

If people are unable to work out issues between themselves, they are encouraged to seek the advice of a mutually trusted third party or a designated community volunteer to help mediate. All MinneWebCon committee members will be introduced before the morning keynote and will be identifiable by a “committee” ribbon on their name badge.

WHEN WE NEED HELP, WE ASK

We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. If you feel threatened or violated as a result of intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory or demeaning conduct, or see someone being subjected to such behavior, please immediately notify a MinneWebCon committee member. You may also email minneweb@umn.edu, which will be monitored continuously throughout the day for immediate response and action.

The MinneWebCon team wants everyone to feel safe for the duration of the conference. If necessary, conference staff are empowered to take appropriate actions that may include, but are not limited to, warnings, expulsion from the conference without refund, and referrals to venue security or local law enforcement.

WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

Thanks for making MinneWebCon awesome for everyone! The MinneWebCon Code of Conduct is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License and is available for others to use and adapt for their own events. We are heavily indebted to the work of DrupalCon Portland for sharing their code of conduct for others to use.