These Guidelines for Conduct, originally based on the LibrePlanet Code of Conduct, apply to us as participants in any conferences, campaigns, projects, and communities under the EmacsConf name, and covers our behaviour in any related forum, mailing list, IRC channel, wiki, web site, public meeting, or private correspondence.

Rules

Be respectful.

Respect each another, as well as people outside or new to the community. Personal attacks, hate speech, trolling, baiting, spamming, and discrimination on the basis of such things as gender, race, and sexuality, will not be tolerated.

We are working towards user freedom for everyone, and that includes those who do not fully agree with us. Rather than condemning individuals for not agreeing wholeheartedly or even disagreeing, respectfully try to help them better understand, and try to understand their views as well. This requires persistently maintaining our best behavior. Frustration from a disagreement or even deliberate agitation is not a valid excuse for poor behavior. Differing views are a strength for diverse communities, and they should be resolved constructively, always with an eye toward finding common ground, giving each other the benefit of the doubt, and being cautious of misinterpretation. Avoid over-defensive or aggressive reactions and try to pacify any disruptive situations as early as possible to prevent conflicts from escalating. A productive community makes people feel comfortable and welcome.

Be mindful.

Keep in consideration that our actions directly affect others, including colleagues and the public, and reflect on EmacsConf's work as a whole. This includes many basic things like asking for help if unsure about something, or announcing when we leave a project and trying to find others who can pick up where we leave off. We are all working together for free software, and the success of our efforts depends on our ability to cooperate. Our contributions are all valuable and will be built upon by others, and in turn our work will depend on that of others.

Work together.

Aim to make allies wherever possible, and avoid burning bridges. We should stand by our strong set of ideals while remaining very welcoming as a movement. Collaboration is highly encouraged. Reach out to as many individuals as well as existing projects and groups as possible. All work should be done as transparently as possible and published in a way that enables others to discuss and get involved with your efforts.

Advocate Freedom.

The free software movement is first and foremost a social movement, so please be sure to have read our critical documents and understand our core philosophy. In accordance with 1-3, please do not be aggressive toward others who may not immediately share the same views. If we are not encouraging and respectful, we can't hope to gain their support. Frame issues and arguments in a way which is conducive to changing minds, not alienating visitors. People are unlikely to listen if they feel in any way like they're being attacked. They are much more receptive to ideas which are presented in a positive and constructive way. Being respectful doesn't mean sacrificing our core ideals; we should always frame the issues we work on in terms of those ideals. That means using language that foregrounds freedom, like referring to the operating system we promote as "GNU/Linux", talking about free software rather than open source, and encouraging people to try distributions that are fully committed to freedom.