Code of Conduct#

Adapted from the Contributor Covenant, version 2.1

Our Pledge#

We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our community a 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 pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.

Our Standards#

Examples of behavior that contributes to a positive environment for our community include:

  • Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people

  • Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences

  • Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback

  • Accepting responsibility and apologizing to those affected by our mistakes, and learning from the experience

  • Focusing on what is best not just for us as individuals, but for the overall community

Examples of unacceptable behavior include:

  • The use of sexualized language or imagery, and sexual attention or advances of any kind

  • Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks

  • Public or private harassment

  • Publishing others’ private information, such as a physical or email address, without their explicit permission

  • Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting

  • Discrimination based on personal characteristics or beliefs

  • Intimidation or bullying

  • Unwelcome sexual attention or advances

  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Special Protections for Minors#

Given our educational mission and inclusion of student researchers under 18, we have additional protections:

  • No Private Communication: Members shall not initiate private one-on-one communication with minors

  • Group Settings: All communications with minors should occur in group settings

  • Parental Involvement: Parents/guardians may request oversight of communications

  • Reporting Mandate: Any concerning behavior involving minors must be reported immediately to the Steering Committee

  • Extra Caution: Be especially mindful of language and content when minors are present

Enforcement Responsibilities#

Community leaders (Steering Committee members, Project Lead, Technical Leads) are responsible for clarifying and enforcing our standards of acceptable behavior and will take appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any behavior that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.

Community leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Code of Conduct, and will communicate reasons for moderation decisions when appropriate.

Scope#

This Code of Conduct applies within all community spaces, and also applies when an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces. Examples of representing our community include:

  • Using an official e-mail address

  • Posting via an official social media account

  • Acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event

  • Participating in collaboration activities, whether online or in person

  • Using collaboration infrastructure (GitHub, WhatsApp, email lists)

Reporting and Enforcement Process#

How to Report#

Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported to the community leaders responsible for enforcement at:

Primary: capibara-collaboration@outlook.com Alternative: Contact any Steering Committee member directly

All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly. All community leaders are obligated to respect the privacy and security of the reporter of any incident.

What to Include in Reports#

When reporting, please include:

  • Your contact information

  • Names of individuals involved

  • Description of the behavior

  • When and where the incident occurred

  • Any supporting evidence (screenshots, logs, etc.)

  • Whether you’d like to remain anonymous

Investigation Process#

  1. Acknowledgment: Report received within 24 hours

  2. Investigation: Preliminary review within 72 hours

  3. Information Gathering: Additional facts collected as needed

  4. Decision: Determination made by Steering Committee

  5. Communication: Outcome communicated to reporter and accused

  6. Appeal: 7-day appeal period available

Enforcement Guidelines#

Community leaders will follow these Community Impact Guidelines in determining the consequences for any action they deem in violation of this Code of Conduct:

1. Correction#

Community Impact: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed unprofessional or unwelcome in the community.

Consequence: A private, written warning from community leaders, providing clarity around the nature of the violation and an explanation of why the behavior was inappropriate. A public apology may be requested.

2. Warning#

Community Impact: A violation through a single incident or series of actions.

Consequence: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, for a specified period of time. This includes avoiding interactions in community spaces as well as external channels like social media. Violating these terms may lead to a temporary or permanent ban.

3. Temporary Ban#

Community Impact: A serious violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior.

Consequence: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public communication with the community for a specified period of time. No public or private interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Code of Conduct, is allowed during this period. Violating these terms may lead to a permanent ban.

4. Permanent Ban#

Community Impact: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an individual, aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals, or violations involving minors.

Consequence: A permanent ban from any sort of public interaction within the community. All existing contributions may be deprecated or removed, and the individual may be reported to relevant authorities if the violation involves illegal activity or minors.

Special Consideration: Minor Safety Violations#

Any violation involving minors, especially breaches of the “no private communication” rule, will result in immediate temporary ban pending investigation, with high likelihood of permanent ban.

Appeals#

Individuals may appeal enforcement decisions by:

  1. Submitting written appeal to Project Lead within 7 days of decision

  2. Presenting new evidence or context

  3. Receiving final decision within 14 days

Confidentiality#

All reports and proceedings are confidential to protect all parties involved. Information is shared only with those who need to know for investigation and enforcement.

Good Faith Reports#

We will not retaliate against anyone who reports a violation in good faith, even if the report is later determined to be unfounded. However, knowingly making false reports is itself a violation of this Code of Conduct.

Support for Targets#

If you are the target of any violation, we will:

  • Provide support and resources

  • Respect your wishes regarding involvement in proceedings

  • Help you disengage from interactions with the violator

  • Offer mental health resources if needed

Education and Prevention#

We commit to:

  • Regular Code of Conduct training for leaders

  • Clear communication of expectations

  • Creating inclusive meeting and collaboration practices

  • Addressing systemic issues that enable harmful behavior

Attribution#

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Contributor Covenant, version 2.1, available at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct.html.

Community Impact Guidelines were inspired by Mozilla’s code of conduct enforcement ladder.

For answers to common questions about this code of conduct, see the FAQ at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/faq. Translations are available at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/translations.

Updates to this Code of Conduct#

This Code of Conduct may be updated by the Steering Committee to address new situations or improve clarity. Changes will be communicated to all members and published in the governance repository.

Last updated: December 5, 2025 Version: 2.1 (adapted)