IBM Developer is dedicated to providing a safe, respectful, comfortable, inclusive and welcoming environment for all event participants, including attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers and online contributors. IBM employees are expected to show courtesy to each other and to the community by creating a harassment-free environment, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, political affiliation, or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran.
The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to define and enforce the values and conduct of IBM employees and participants in the IBM Developer community. The Code of Conduct applies both within private and public spaces when an individual is engaging with the IBM Developer community. Examples include attending an IBM Developer event, contributing to online projects, commentary on Slack, or representing a project or community, including using an official project e-mail address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.
IBM Developer is committed to the free expression of ideas in a respectful and professional manner.
Examples of behaviour that contributes to creating a positive environment include:
- Using welcoming and inclusive language.
- Being respectful of differing viewpoints, experiences, and cultures.
- Gracefully accepting constructive criticism.
- Focusing on what is best for the community.
- Showing empathy towards other community members.
- Being mindful of your surroundings and your fellow participants and listening to others.
- Valuing the contributions of all participants.
- Engaging in collaboration before conflict.
- Pointing out unintentionally racist, sexist, casteist, or biased comments and jokes made by community members when they happen.
Event participants will not engage in unacceptable behaviour which includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal, physical or visual conduct toward another participant or participants which is motivated by that individual’s race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, or age, political affiliation, or status as a special disabled veteran or other veteran that is unsolicited and unwelcome and creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.
- Sexualised language or images in public spaces, including presentations and exhibitor materials.
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following.
- Inappropriate physical contact.
- Unwelcome sexual attention.
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
- Physical, verbal, or written, abuse, intimidation, threats, annoyance, harassment, stalking, pushing, shoving or use of any physical force whatsoever against any person, which in any way creates a disturbance that is disruptive or dangerous, or creates apprehension in a person, as determined by event management, in their sole discretion.
- Any destruction or vandalising of personal property or event site or materials.
- Any lewd or offensive behaviour or language, using sexually explicit or offensive language or conduct, profanity, obscene gestures, or racial, religious or ethnic slurs.
- Possessing any illegal substance or item. IBM Developer does not tolerate the use or abuse of illegal substances or items anywhere in event venues.
- Assembling for the purpose of, or resulting in, disturbing the peace, or committing any unlawful act or engaging in any offensive behaviour.
- Any other illegal activity.
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.
The entire IBM Developer community is responsible for upholding the terms of the Code of Conduct in IBM Developer events and spaces and reporting violations if they see them. The IBM Developer developer advocacy team is ultimately responsible for clarifying the standards of acceptable behaviour and enforcement, and is expected to take appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any instances of unacceptable behaviour.
If a participant engages in negative or harmful behaviour, IBM will take any action they deem appropriate, including but not limited to issuing warnings, expulsion from an event with no refund, deleting comments, permanent banning from future events or online community, or calling local law enforcement. IBM has the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, content and other participants that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, or to temporarily or permanently ban any participant for other behaviours that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.
If you see a Code of Conduct violation:
- If you feel comfortable, let the person know what they did is not appropriate and ask them to stop.
- If the person does not immediately stop the behaviour, or if you're uncomfortable speaking up, you can make a personal report by emailing the organisers, reporting to on-site security, or speaking with a designated staff member. Event organisers will provide reporting details specific to their venue.
- If the code of conduct violation occurs at an event and requires immediate response or contains a concern about an individual attending an upcoming event, contact the event's on-call Code of Conduct point of contact listed in the event specific code of conduct documentation.
- If an IBM employee witnesses a Code of Conduct violation at anytime, such as at events, in a Slack channel, or open-source forums, it is their responsibility to report the violation.
This Code of Conduct does not supersede existing IBM corporate policies, such as the IBM Business Conduct Guidelines and IBM Business Partner Code of Conduct. IBM employees must follow IBM's Business Conduct Guidelines. IBM's business partners must follow the IBM Business Partner Code of Conduct. IBM employees concerned with a fellow IBMer's behaviour should follow IBM's own internal HR reporting protocols, which include engaging the offending IBMer's manager and involving IBM Concerns and Appeals. IBM employees concerned with an IBM business partner's behaviour should notify tellibm@us.ibm.com.