status	owner
draft	/orgs/devsforge/teams/community @community

Code of Conduct

Document Changelog

Ver.	Date	Author	Change description
0.9	2025-01-19	Serhii Horodilov	Final draft
0.1	2025-01-10	Serhii Horodilov	Initial draft

Our Stance on the War in 🇺🇦Ukraine

DevsForge stands with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the ongoing war of aggression by the Russian Federation. We condemn this illegal invasion and the humanitarian crisis it has caused.

While we welcome contributors from around the world, we expect all community members to respect our values and the dignity of the Ukrainian people. We will not tolerate pro-war rhetoric, denial of war crimes, or justification of aggression against Ukraine in our community spaces.

Our community is built on principles of peace, human rights, and mutual respect. Those who cannot uphold these principles are not welcome here.

Support Ukraine

If you wish to support Ukraine and its people, consider contributing to humanitarian efforts:

• https://savelife.in.ua/en
• https://prytulafoundation.org/en
• https://www.sternenkofund.org/en

Our Pledge

We, the members, contributors, and maintainers of DevsForge, pledge to make participation in our community a welcoming, respectful, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

We are committed to fostering an environment where specialists can grow, learn, and collaborate openly. As a Ukrainian-based organization, we are proud to promote Ukraine and Ukrainian talent worldwide, while remaining inclusive and welcoming to contributors from all backgrounds.

We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, friendly, transparent, and engaged community.

Our Values

At DevsForge, our community is guided by these core values:

🌍 Inclusivity
We believe in creating opportunities for everyone. Our community welcomes contributors of all backgrounds, experience levels, and perspectives. We strive to remove barriers and make our projects accessible to all who wish to participate.

📈 Growth & Learning 🎓
We are committed to fostering the professional and personal growth of specialists, particularly in Ukraine. We encourage knowledge sharing, mentorship, and continuous learning. Questions are welcomed, mistakes are learning opportunities, and helping each other succeed is our shared responsibility.

🇺🇦 Promoting Ukraine
As a Ukrainian-based organization, we take pride in showcasing Ukrainian talent, innovation, and resilience to the world. We work to create opportunities for Ukrainian specialists and contribute to Ukraine's global presence in the tech community.

🔮 Transparency
We operate openly and honestly. Our processes, decisions, and communications are clear and accessible. We encourage open dialogue and constructive feedback.

🤝 Engagement & Collaboration
We build meaningful connections within our community. We value active participation, respectful collaboration, and the collective achievement of our goals. Everyone's contribution matters.

✨ Excellence
We strive to deliver high-quality services and solutions. We take pride in our work while remaining humble and open to improvement.

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to all DevsForge community spaces, including but not limited to:

• GitHub repositories (issues, pull requests, discussions, code reviews)
• Official communication channels (if applicable: Discord, Slack, mailing lists, forums)
• Community events (online and in-person meetups, conferences, workshops)
• Social media interactions where you represent DevsForge
• Any other spaces where you act as a representative of the DevsForge community

This Code of Conduct also applies when an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces. Examples of representing our community include using an official email address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.

Who this applies to:

• Community members
• Contributors
• Maintainers
• Partners
• Anyone interacting with DevsForge projects and community spaces

This Code of Conduct applies equally to all community members, regardless of their level of contribution or standing within the community.

Expected Behavior

We encourage all community members to:

Be Respectful and Kind

• Treat everyone with respect, empathy, and dignity
• Use welcoming and inclusive language
• Be considerate of different viewpoints and experiences
• Accept constructive criticism gracefully

Foster Growth and Learning

• Share knowledge generously and mentor others
• Ask questions and seek help when needed
• Acknowledge that everyone is at different stages of their journey
• Provide constructive and helpful feedback
• Celebrate the successes of others

Communicate Thoughtfully

• Be clear and constructive in your communication
• Assume good intentions and give others the benefit of the doubt
• Listen actively and seek to understand before responding
• Admit mistakes and learn from them

Collaborate Effectively

• Focus on what's best for the community and projects
• Be open to different approaches and ideas
• Give credit where credit is due
• Respect project maintainers' decisions and guidelines

Be Professional

• Keep discussions focused and on-topic
• Respect people's time and contributions
• Follow project-specific contribution guidelines
• Maintain confidentiality when appropriate

Support Our Community Values

• Promote inclusivity and accessibility in everything you do
• Respect our stance on Ukraine and human rights
• Contribute to a positive, transparent community environment
• Help make DevsForge a welcoming place for everyone

Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are considered unacceptable and will not be tolerated in our community:

Harassment and Discrimination

• Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, physical appearance, body size, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, or any other protected characteristic
• Unwelcome sexual attention or advances
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
• Sustained disruption of discussions or events
• Pattern of inappropriate social contact

Disrespectful Conduct

• Trolling, insulting, or derogatory comments
• Personal or political attacks
• Public or private harassment
• Publishing others' private information without explicit permission (doxxing)
• Spam or excessive self-promotion
• Deliberate misgendering or use of rejected names

Regarding the War in Ukraine

• Pro-war rhetoric or propaganda supporting Russia's aggression against Ukraine
• Denial, justification, or trivialization of war crimes
• Harassment or discrimination against Ukrainians or those supporting Ukraine
• Spreading misinformation about the war or its humanitarian impact

Disruptive Behavior

• Intentionally derailing conversations or discussions
• Repeatedly ignoring maintainer guidance or project guidelines
• Making false reports or accusations
• Encouraging or inciting any of the above behaviors

Other Unacceptable Conduct

• Plagiarism or claiming others' work as your own
• Deliberately introducing malicious code or security vulnerabilities
• Violating applicable laws or regulations
• Any other conduct that could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting

Scope of Enforcement

• These standards apply to all community spaces and when representing DevsForge
• Violations may result in consequences even if they occur in public spaces outside our direct control, if they negatively impact community safety

Consequences

Community members who violate this Code of Conduct may face consequences determined by community maintainers and the community manager. The response will be proportionate to the violation and may include:

For Minor Violations:

• Warning: A private, written warning explaining the violation and expected behavior change
• Temporary Interaction Limit: Temporary restriction from interacting in community spaces for a specified period

For Moderate Violations:

• Temporary Ban: Temporary suspension from all community participation for a specified period (e.g., 30 days, 90 days)
• Required Acknowledgment: Violator must acknowledge their behavior and commit to change before being allowed to return

For Severe or Repeated Violations:

• Permanent Ban: Permanent removal from all community spaces and activities
• Public Statement: In cases affecting community safety, a public statement may be issued (without identifying the reporter)

Determining Consequences:

The severity of consequences will be based on:

• The nature and severity of the violation
• Impact on the community and individuals
• Whether this is a first offense or part of a pattern
• The violator's response and willingness to make amends
• Context and circumstances

No Retaliation:

• Community members who report violations in good faith will not face retaliation
• Attempting to retaliate against someone who has reported a violation is itself a violation and will result in consequences

Appeals:

• Individuals who believe they have been unfairly sanctioned may appeal the decision
• Appeals should be sent to the community manager with a clear explanation of why the decision should be reconsidered
• The community manager will review appeals and make a final determination

Reporting

If you experience or witness behavior that violates this Code of Conduct, please report it as soon as possible.

How to Report:

You can report violations by:

• Contacting the community manager directly at: [todo: add email]
• Opening a confidential issue in our dedicated reporting repository (if available)

What to Include in Your Report:

To help us address the situation effectively, please include:

• Your contact information (so we can follow up with you)
• Names or usernames of people involved
• Description of what happened, including specific behaviors
• When and where the incident occurred
• Any additional context or supporting information (screenshots, links, etc.)
• Whether you've already taken any action
• Any concerns about your safety or the safety of others

If you're not comfortable providing all this information, we will still review your report.

What Happens After You Report:

1. Acknowledgment: You will receive confirmation that your report was received within 48 hours
2. Review: The community manager will review the report and may follow up with you for additional information
3. Investigation: We will investigate the matter by reviewing evidence and, if appropriate, speaking with involved parties
4. Action: Based on our findings, we will take appropriate action according to the Consequences section
5. Follow-up: We will inform you of the outcome, respecting privacy and confidentiality where appropriate

Confidentiality:

• All reports will be handled with discretion and confidentiality
• We will not share reporter identities without explicit permission
• Information will only be shared with those who need to know to address the situation
• In cases where public safety is at risk, we may need to take public action, but will do so without identifying reporters

Good Faith Reporting:

• We take all reports seriously and appreciate when community members speak up
• Reports made in good faith will not result in retaliation, even if an investigation finds no violation occurred
• However, deliberately false reports made to harass others are themselves a violation

Anonymous Reports:

While we prefer to have contact information to follow up, you may submit anonymous reports. Please note that our ability to investigate and respond may be limited without the ability to ask follow-up questions.

Attribution

This Code of Conduct is inspired by community best practices and open source community standards.

License:

This Code of Conduct is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

You are free to adapt and use this Code of Conduct for your own community, with attribution to DevsForge.