When contributing to this repository, please first discuss the change you wish to make via issue, email, or any other method with the owners of this repository before making a change.
Please note we have a code of conduct, please follow it in all your interactions with the project.
Before creating a pull request:
- Please make sure that all unit tests are passing
- You have run an ESLint check and removed all errors.
- Updated the README.md with any relevant details such as new environment variables, useful file locations, etc.
- Increase the version numbers in any examples files and the README.md to the new version that this Pull Request would represent. The versioning scheme we use is SemVer.
You may merge the Pull Request in once you have the sign-off of at least one other developer, or if you do not have permission to do that, you may request the second reviewer to merge it for you.
Expectations All Code for BTV and Code for America events and their staff, presenters, and attendees are held to a Code of Conduct and an Anti-Harassment Policy.
This includes the Code for BTV leadership. If you see something or hear something that violates the Code of Conduct, please report it, for everyone's sake.
Code of Conduct Code for America's, and thus Code for BTV's Code of Conduct The Code for America community expects that Code for America brigades, network activities, events, and digital forums:
Are a safe and respectful environment for all participants. Are a place where people are free to fully express their identities. Presume the value of others. Everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value. Don’t assume everyone has the same context, and encourage questions. Find a way for people to be productive with their skills (technical and not) and energy. Use language such as “yes/and”, not “no/but.” Encourage members and participants to listen as much as they speak. Strive to build tools that are open and free technology for public use. Activities that aim to foster public use, not private gain, are prioritized. Prioritize access for and input from those who are traditionally excluded from the civic process. Work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of civic tech. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups. Actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making process. Ensure that the relationships and conversations between community members, the local government staff and community partners remain respectful, participatory, and productive. Provide an environment where people are free from discrimination or harassment. Code for America and Code for BTV reserve the right to ask anyone in violation of these policies not to participate in Code for America network activities, events, and digital forums.
Code for America's Anti-Harassment Policy This anti-harassment policy is based on the example policy from the Geek Feminism wiki, created by the Ada Initiative and other volunteers.
This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work.
All Code for America network activities, events, and digital forums and their staff, presenters, and participants are held to an anti-harassment policy, included below.
In addition to governing our own events by this policy, Code for America will only lend our brand and fund groups that offer an anti-harassment policy to their attendees. For information on how to offer an anti-harassment policy to your group, see this guide.
Code for America is dedicated to providing a harassment-free 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 staff, presenters, and participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any Code for America event or network activity, including talks. Anyone in violation of these policies may be expelled from Code for America network activities, events, and digital forums, at the discretion of the event organizer or forum administrator.
Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; unwarranted exclusion; and patronizing language or action.
If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from Code for America network activities, events, and digital forums.
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the event staff or forum administrator immediately. Event staff or forum administrators 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 event.
If you cannot reach an event organizer or forum administrator and/or it is an emergency, please call 911 and/or remove yourself from the situation.
You can also contact Code for America about harassment by emailing safespace at codeforamerica.org and feel free to use the email template below. Code for America staff acknowledge that we are not always in a position to evaluate a given situation due to the number of events and the fact that our team is not always present. However, we are hopeful that by providing these guidelines we are establishing a community that jointly adheres to these values and can provide an environment that is welcoming to all.
We value your attendance and hope that by communicating these expectations widely we can all enjoy a harassment-free environment.
Reporting Breaches of the Code of Conduct Four options exist for reporting breaches of the Code of Conduct, and which one you use depends on the reporter and the violator.
CoC breach by a Code for BTV non-leadership member: Please report breaches by non-leadership-team members to the Code for BTV leadership by e-mail, as well as in-person if you are in a place where a leadership team member is physically present. So if we are at a meeting, and there is a reportable offense, both tell the leadership-team member that is there about the breach, AND then e-mail all members of the leadership team. This makes sure that we know about it ASAP, but also that it doesn't fall of the radar of a single leadership-team member and get forgotten. Also, e-mail creates a digital record, which can be helpful. The leadership team at the time of writing this is Jim Lockridge (jim at bigheavyworld dot com), Nick Floersch (nick dot floersch at codeforbtv dot org), and Micah Mutrux (micah dot mutrux at codeforbtv dot org). CoC breach by a Code for BTV leadership member: If you witness that a member of the Code for BTV leadership team is breaching the Code of Conduct, you are welcome to report it to the other leadership team members by e-mail and in person. However, if you feel uncomfortable reporting to the leadership for any reason, you are welcome to report the offense to the Code for America Brigade Network Team (they oversee all of the brigades). brigade-info at codeforamerica dot org CoC breach report by a non-male member who wants to report the breach to another non-male member: Code for BTV recognizes that, at least, at present, the leadership is three white males. If a member would prefer to report any sort of violation (by leadership, or regular members) to a non-male overseer, please contact Veronica Young on the CfA Brigade Network Team. veronica at codeforamerica dot org CoC breach report by a PoC who wants to report the breach to another PoC: Code for BTV recognizes that, at least, at present, the leadership is three white males. Should a member want to report a CoC breach specifically to a PoC instead of the other options listed above, the individual can report the offense to the Code for America Safe Space e-mail. safespace at codeforamerica dot org When sending an e-mail (and please, always do send an e-mail to someone when a violation occurs, to create a record of the event), you can use the following template to capture the key points:
Email Template for Anti-Harassment Reporting
SUBJECT: Safe Space alert at [EVENT NAME]
I am writing because of harassment at a Code for America Communities event, (NAME, PLACE, DATE OF EVENT).
You can reach me at (CONTACT INFO). Thank you.