At Oxbow, we are committed to creating an open, welcoming, and inclusive environment for everyone who contributes to, uses, or engages with our project. This Code of Conduct outlines our expectations for behavior and our commitment to maintaining a respectful, collaborative community.
People First: We treat everyone with respect, empathy, and dignity. Every contributor, user, and community member is a valuable part of our project.
Openness and Collaboration: We believe in transparent communication, knowledge sharing, and working together to build better solutions.
Continuous Learning: We embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. We support each other in developing our skills and understanding.
Inclusivity by Design: We actively work to make Oxbow accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.
This Code of Conduct applies to all Oxbow spaces, both online and offline, including:
- GitHub repositories (issues, pull requests, discussions, code reviews)
- Project communication channels (Discord, Slack, email lists)
- Social media interactions related to Oxbow
- Project events, meetups, and conferences
- One-on-one communications in the context of Oxbow work
This Code of Conduct applies to all community members, including maintainers, contributors, sponsors, and users.
We expect all community members to:
- Be respectful: Treat others with kindness and consideration. Disagreement is fine; disrespect is not.
- Be inclusive: Use welcoming and inclusive language. Avoid assumptions about others' identities, experiences, or technical knowledge.
- Be collaborative: Offer constructive feedback and be open to receiving it. Focus on what is best for the community and project.
- Be thoughtful: Consider how your words and actions affect others. Think before you speak or act.
- Be accountable: Own your mistakes, apologize when necessary, and learn from the experience.
- Be supportive: Help newcomers feel welcome. Share knowledge generously and patiently.
- Using welcoming and inclusive language
- Being respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences
- Gracefully accepting constructive criticism
- Focusing on what is best for the community
- Showing empathy towards other community members
- Acknowledging and crediting others' contributions
- Asking for help when you need it and offering help when you can
The following behaviors are considered unacceptable within our community:
- Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, physical appearance, body size, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion
- Unwelcome comments regarding a person's lifestyle choices and practices
- Deliberate misgendering or use of rejected names
- Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behavior
- Physical contact or simulated physical contact without consent
- Threats of violence or violent language directed against another person
- Incitement of violence towards any individual or group
- Discriminatory jokes or language
- Posting or threatening to post other people's personally identifying information ("doxing")
- Sustained disruption of discussions or other events
- Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
- Public or private harassment
- Pattern of inappropriate social contact
- Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease
- Deliberate intimidation or stalking
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Publishing others' private information without explicit permission
- Plagiarism or claiming others' work as your own
- Misrepresentation of your identity, affiliation, or credentials
- Abuse of the reporting process to intentionally harass or exclude others
- Advocating for or encouraging any of the above behavior
- Failure to comply with requests from project maintainers regarding conduct
If you experience or witness unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please report it as soon as possible.
You can report incidents through any of the following methods:
- Direct Message: Contact any project maintainer directly
All reports will be handled with discretion and confidentiality.
When making a report, please include:
- Your contact information (if you're comfortable sharing)
- Names or identifiers of individuals involved
- Description of the incident, including date, time, and location
- Any relevant context or background
- Links to relevant conversations or materials (screenshots, logs, etc.)
- Names of any witnesses
- Whether you've reported the incident to anyone else
- Any other information you think would be helpful
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Acknowledgment: You will receive an acknowledgment of your report within 24 hours.
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Investigation: The maintainer team will review the incident, which may include:
- Reviewing documentation and evidence
- Speaking with involved parties and witnesses
- Consulting with other maintainers or advisors as needed
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Response: Within 7 days, we will communicate our decision and any actions taken.
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Follow-up: We will check in with you at 3 months and 6 months to ensure:
- The situation has been resolved
- No retaliation has occurred
- You feel safe and supported in the community
All reports will be kept confidential. Information will only be shared:
- With maintainers who need to know for investigation purposes
- If required by law
- With your explicit consent
We will not share details that could identify reporters or victims without permission, except when necessary to protect others from harm.
Project maintainers are responsible for clarifying and enforcing our standards of acceptable behavior. Depending on the severity and context of the violation, responses may include:
Minor First Offense:
- Private written warning
- Request for public or private apology
- Temporary moderation of participation (e.g., time-out from discussions)
Moderate or Repeated Offense:
- Temporary suspension from community spaces (1 week to 3 months)
- Removal of contributions or content
- Public statement about the incident
Severe or Repeated Offense:
- Permanent ban from all community spaces
- Reporting to appropriate authorities if illegal activity occurred
- Public statement about the incident and action taken
If you believe you have been unfairly accused of violating this Code of Conduct, you may appeal the decision by contacting conduct-appeal@andreuzza.com within 14 days of notification. Include:
- Description of your appeal
- Any additional context or information
- What you believe should happen instead
Appeals will be reviewed by maintainers who were not involved in the original decision.
This Code of Conduct protects all individuals regardless of:
- Age
- Body size
- Disability (visible or invisible)
- Ethnicity
- Sex characteristics
- Gender identity and expression
- Level of experience
- Education
- Socio-economic status
- Nationality
- Personal appearance
- Race
- Religion
- Sexual identity and orientation
- Neurotype
- Technical skill level
- English language proficiency
We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds and identities.
For Oxbow-related events, meetups, or gatherings, additional considerations apply:
- Events should be held in accessible, inclusive venues
- Venues should be known for welcoming all community members
- Consider transportation accessibility and safety
- If alcohol is served, non-alcoholic options must be prominently available
- Limit alcohol service (e.g., drink tickets, time limits)
- Address intoxication issues promptly and respectfully
- Make it clear that intoxication does not excuse code of conduct violations
- Schedule events at times accessible to people with caregiving responsibilities
- Provide advance notice (at least 2 weeks recommended)
- Consider offering childcare or information about nearby childcare options
- Provide information about accessibility features and accommodations
- Provide diverse food options including vegetarian and vegan choices
- Label foods clearly with ingredients and common allergens
- Be mindful of religious dietary restrictions
- Never require someone to disclose medical or personal information to access appropriate food
- Make event information publicly available and easy to find
- Use inclusive invitation methods (public channels, mailing lists)
- Avoid word-of-mouth-only invitations that may exclude people
- Be thoughtful about power dynamics in professional relationships
- Avoid romantic or sexual advances toward people you have authority over
- Respect professional boundaries in all interactions
- You may ask another community member on a date or for social contact once
- If they decline or don't respond, do not ask again
- Accept "no" gracefully and maintain professional respect
- If someone reports feeling uncomfortable, respect their boundary immediately
This Code of Conduct is adapted from:
- Project Include Guide to Writing a Code of Conduct
- Contributor Covenant v2.1
- Geek Feminism Anti-Harassment Policy
This Code of Conduct will be reviewed every 6 months to ensure it:
- Reflects current community needs and concerns
- Remains consistent with evolving best practices
- Addresses emerging issues or patterns
- Complies with relevant laws and regulations
Community members are encouraged to suggest improvements at any time by:
- Opening an issue on GitHub
- Emailing mcihael@andreuzza.com
- Submitting feedback through community surveys
If you have questions about this Code of Conduct, please contact us at mcihael@andreuzza.com.
This Code of Conduct is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Last Updated: October 4, 2025
Version: 1.0
Thank you for helping make Oxbow a welcoming, inclusive community for everyone.