Code of Conduct

We Love Speed is an organization dedicated to networking and collaboration in the Web Performance community.

We value the participation of each member of the Web Performance and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees throughout the organization events and at all conference events, whether officially sponsored by We Love Speed or not.

To make clear what is expected, all delegates/attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organizers and volunteers at any We Love Speed event are required to conform to the following Code of Conduct. Organizers will enforce this code throughout the event.

The Short Version

We Love Speed events are dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. All attendees will be required to adopt the recommendations of the Haute Autorité Sanitaire and the French government at the time the event is held.

Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.

Contact in case of incident during our conference

The Longer Version

Harassment includes verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Exhibitors in the expo hall, sponsor or vendor booths, or similar activities are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, exhibitors should not use sexualized images, activities, or other material. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. Conference staff can be identified by t-shirts or special lanyards. Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events.

Staff Procedure for Incident

Warnings

Any member of conference staff can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behavior violates the conference’s anti-harassment policy. Warnings should be reported to contact@welovespeed.com as soon as practical. See Report section for more information.

Presentations

Presentations or similar events should not be stopped for one-time gaffes or minor problems, although a member of conference staff should speak to the presenter afterward. However, staff should take immediate action to politely and calmly stop any presentation or event that repeatedly or seriously violates the anti-harassment policy. For example, simply say “I’m sorry, this presentation cannot be continued at the present time” with no further explanation.

Taking reports

When taking a report from someone experiencing harassment you should record what they say and reassure them they are being taken seriously, but avoid making specific promises about what actions the organizers will take. Ask for any other information if the reporter has not volunteered it (such as time, place) but do not pressure them to provide it if they are reluctant. Even if the report lacks important details such as the identity of the person taking the harassing actions, it should still be recorded and passed along to the appropriate staff member(s). If the reporter desires it, arrange for an escort by conference staff or a trusted person, contact a friend, and contact local law enforcement. Do not pressure the reporter to take any action if they do not want to do it. Respect the reporter’s privacy by not sharing unnecessary details with others, especially individuals who were not involved with the situation or non-staff members.

The report should include:

Expulsion

A participant may be expelled by the decision of any of the above listed entities for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines for when a participant should be expelled:

Public statements

Conference staff should not make any public statements about the behavior of individual people during or after the conference. In general, consult with other staff members when possible but act when necessary.

Information

At any time, for any question about this code of conduct please send an email to contact@welovespeed.com.

License and attribution

This policy is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license. It is public domain, no credit and no open licencing of your version is required.

This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers and on the PHP UK code of conduct.