Since 1989, the RIPE community's strength has come from its breadth of experience, diversity of views, and open, respectful exchange of ideas. These are values that we want all RIPE community members to uphold. Therefore, everyone who participates in our community must adhere to the RIPE Code of Conduct (CoC).
At RIPE 80, the RIPE Chair proposed integrating the separate meeting and mailing list codes of conduct into a single document. This document is the result. It will be accompanied by other documents that describe the team responsible for implementing it and the processes that will be used.
This document includes several lists of examples. These lists are non-exhaustive and provided to illustrate. They do not and cannot document all possibilities. The RIPE community expects all participants to use good sense and not to view guidelines for human behaviour in the same way as technical documentation.
Our goals in having this Code of Conduct are:
We need to be aware of the impact of our behaviour on others. When a person discovers they have made a mistake, they should acknowledge this and apologise. If they are unable to do this, the Trusted Contacts or future CoC Team can help.
If you see behaviour that breaches the CoC, you can ask that person to stop or change what they are doing. If you are not comfortable doing so, or if this does not work, please make a report to the Trusted Contacts or future CoC Team.
This CoC is for all participation in RIPE. This means all in-person events, including social activities organised alongside those events. It also means any Internet-mediated participation, including mailing lists, real-time video or chat functionality, and communication technologies to be deployed in the future.
The RIPE NCC will ensure that the RIPE CoC is applied to all events it organises, unless there is an alternative that is more suitable.
This CoC applies to all people participating within the RIPE community, both on-site at physical events and over the Internet. It includes everyone supporting the community, even if they do not actively participate.
This CoC only refers to ethical behaviour for the purposes of RIPE activities. It is not meant to define legal or illegal activities, which are covered by the relevant laws.
RIPE participants should be open, considerate, and respectful. This helps us to understand each other so that we can discuss issues and reach consensus. Behaviours that reinforce these values help to keep RIPE a positive environment to work and interact in. Here are some examples of positive behaviours (this is a non-exhaustive list):
Behaviours that undermine our values are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Below are some examples. It is important to be clear that this is a non-exhaustive list. Just because something is not included here, does not mean it is acceptable or is not a violation of the CoC.
Identity discrimination. Any behaviour, actions, or presentation content displaying discrimination based on (this is a non-exhaustive list):
Aggressive behaviour or intimidation. Any actions that are physically aggressive or used to intimidate others (some examples include):
Aggressive communication (some examples include):
Inebriation and intoxication. Some events may provide alcoholic drinks. We expect people to drink responsibly. Alcohol use or other intoxication is never accepted as an excuse for CoC violations.
This Code of Conduct is not a tool to attack others. It allows the community to apply good sense and does not provide for clever interpretations or loopholes. Reports that are not made in good faith will therefore be rejected at the discretion of the Trusted Contacts or future Code of Conduct Team. Some examples include (this is a non-exhaustive list):
If you experience or witness behaviour that violates the RIPE Meeting Code of Conduct, please report this to our RIPE Meeting Trusted Contacts. All reports will be handled confidentially.
Please be aware that attendees violating the RIPE Meeting Code of Conduct may be asked to leave the meeting without a refund and other actions may be taken as deemed necessary.