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CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md

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Community-Centric Code of Practice (CCCP)

Our Pledge

We, as contributors and maintainers of the Evidence Graph project, pledge to create an emotionally safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all participants, regardless of:

  • Age, body size, disability (visible or invisible)
  • Ethnicity, nationality, race
  • Gender identity and expression, sexual orientation
  • Level of experience, education
  • Socioeconomic status, employment status
  • Religion or lack thereof
  • Political beliefs (within bounds of mutual respect)
  • Neurodivers

ity, mental health status

Core Principle: We prioritize contributor emotional well-being as highly as code quality.

Our Standards

Expected Behavior

Be Kind and Respectful:

  • Assume good intentions
  • Use welcoming and inclusive language
  • Respect differing viewpoints and experiences
  • Accept constructive criticism gracefully
  • Focus on what is best for the community

Be Empathetic:

  • Recognize that people have different backgrounds and constraints
  • Respect personal boundaries (time, energy, emotional capacity)
  • Understand that volunteering is a gift, not an obligation
  • Value emotional labor (documentation, mentorship, community building)

Be Collaborative:

  • Welcome newcomers warmly
  • Mentor generously
  • Share knowledge without gatekeeping
  • Celebrate others' contributions
  • Give credit where due

Be Professional:

  • Keep discussions technical and constructive
  • Separate ideas from people
  • Disagree without being disagreeable
  • Avoid personal attacks, name-calling, or ad hominem arguments

Unacceptable Behavior

Harassment includes but is not limited to:

  • Offensive comments related to protected characteristics (see Pledge)
  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
  • Sustained disruption of discussions
  • Unwelcome sexual attention or advances
  • Publishing others' private information (doxxing)
  • Trolling, insulting/derogatory comments, personal attacks

Discrimination:

  • Exclusion based on identity or background
  • Gatekeeping or elitism
  • Dismissing lived experiences
  • Microaggressions (even if "unintentional")

Emotional Manipulation:

  • Guilt-tripping contributors
  • Demanding unpaid labor
  • Using maintainer status to pressure contributors
  • Ignoring "no" or pushing boundaries

Technical Misconduct:

  • Submitting malicious code or security vulnerabilities
  • Plagiarizing others' work
  • Falsifying test results or benchmarks
  • Sabotaging project infrastructure

Enforcement

Reporting

How to Report:

  1. Confidential Email: conduct@evidencegraph.org (monitored by P1 maintainers)
  2. Private Message: Contact @Hyperpolymath on GitHub
  3. Third-Party: Report to GitHub (https://github.com/contact/report-abuse)

What to Include:

  • Your contact information (optional if you want to remain anonymous)
  • Names of people involved (or "anonymous reporter" if you prefer)
  • Description of the incident
  • Date, time, and context
  • Any supporting evidence (screenshots, links, etc.)
  • Whether the incident is ongoing

Confidentiality:

  • Reports handled with discretion
  • Reporter identity protected unless they consent to disclosure
  • Only essential details shared with enforcement team

Enforcement Process

1. Acknowledgment (24 hours)

  • Reporter receives confirmation
  • Initial assessment of severity

2. Investigation (7 days)

  • Gather facts from all parties
  • Review evidence (chat logs, PR comments, etc.)
  • Consult with neutral third parties if needed

3. Decision (14 days total)

  • Determine if Code of Conduct was violated
  • Decide on appropriate consequences
  • Inform all parties of decision

4. Appeal (optional, 30 days)

  • Affected party may appeal decision
  • Independent reviewer examines case
  • Final decision issued

Consequences

Depending on severity, violations may result in:

Level 1: Warning

  • Private written warning
  • Request for public or private apology
  • Required hiatus from project (e.g., 30 days)

Level 2: Temporary Ban

  • Temporary suspension (30-90 days)
  • No participation in project spaces (GitHub, chat, events)
  • May be required to complete training or mediation

Level 3: Permanent Ban

  • Permanent removal from all project spaces
  • Contributions may be reverted (see Reversibility policy)
  • Public statement issued (to protect community)

Level 4: Legal Action

  • For severe cases (threats, doxxing, harassment)
  • Law enforcement contacted
  • Project disassociates entirely

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to:

  • GitHub spaces: Issues, PRs, Discussions, code comments
  • Communication channels: Email, chat, video calls (if established)
  • Events: Conferences, meetups, online gatherings
  • Public representation: Talks, blog posts, social media (when representing project)

Violations outside project spaces may be considered if they affect project safety.

Emotional Safety Framework

Reversibility Protections

Per Palimpsest License v0.8:

  • Contributors may withdraw work within 90 days
  • No questions asked, no guilt-tripping
  • Contributions reverted or replaced promptly
  • See CONTRIBUTING.md for full process

Emotional Temperature Monitoring

We track and publish metrics to ensure community health:

Metric Current Target Status
Contributor Churn (6-month) TBD <20% 📊 Measuring
Review Turnaround TBD <48h 📊 Measuring
Issue Resolution Time TBD <14 days 📊 Measuring
Governance Transparency 100% 100% ✅ On Track

See MAINTAINERS.md for live dashboard.

Conflict Resolution

Before escalating to enforcement:

  1. Direct Communication: Try to resolve privately (if safe)
  2. Mediation: Request a neutral third party (P2 contributor)
  3. Cooling-Off Period: Take a break, revisit later
  4. Documentation: Write out your perspective (helps clarify)

When to escalate immediately:

  • Threats, doxxing, or harassment
  • Discrimination or hate speech
  • Repeated boundary violations
  • Safety concerns

Maintainer Responsibilities

Leading by Example

Maintainers must:

  • Model respectful behavior
  • Respond to reports promptly and fairly
  • Enforce Code of Conduct consistently
  • Protect reporter confidentiality
  • Avoid conflicts of interest (recuse if needed)

Transparency

  • Enforcement decisions documented in MAINTAINERS.md (anonymized)
  • Community informed of pattern trends (not individual cases)
  • Annual Code of Conduct review with community input

Self-Care

Maintainers are also protected:

  • Can take breaks without guilt
  • May delegate enforcement to trusted parties
  • Have same reversibility rights as contributors

Community Responsibilities

Everyone can contribute to a healthy community:

  • Welcome newcomers: Respond to "beginner" questions kindly
  • Assume best intentions: Miscommunication is common, malice is rare
  • Call in, not out: Address issues privately first when possible
  • Support each other: Check in on contributors, celebrate wins
  • Respect maintainer boundaries: They're volunteers too

Attribution & Inspiration

This Code of Conduct is inspired by:

Modified to emphasize emotional safety and reversibility as core values.

Contact

  • Code of Conduct Team: conduct@evidencegraph.org
  • Lead Maintainer: @Hyperpolymath (GitHub)
  • Anonymous Reporting: (third-party service TBD for Phase 2)

Amendments

This Code of Conduct may be updated to:

  • Clarify ambiguities
  • Address new scenarios
  • Incorporate community feedback

Process:

  1. Proposed changes published in GitHub Discussion
  2. Community comment period (30 days)
  3. Maintainer decision with reasoning
  4. Changelog entry in MAINTAINERS.md

Last Amended: 2025-11-22 (initial version)

License

This Code of Conduct is licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution). You may adapt it for your own projects with attribution to Evidence Graph.

Remember: This community is built on trust, empathy, and shared commitment to investigative journalism. Let's make it a place where everyone can contribute their best work without fear or pressure.

Last Updated: 2025-11-22 Version: 1.0 (CCCP + Palimpsest v0.8)