AIS eLibrary Discussion Thread Code of Conduct

The AIS community is a mix of academics, students, and volunteers from all over the world, working on every aspect of the AIS mission of serving society through the advancement of knowledge and the promotion of excellence in the practice and study of information systems.

Diversity of opinions is one of our strengths, but it can also cause communication and interpretation challenges, with consequent untended emotional reactions. We ask that you not attribute to malice anything that could be explained by miscommunication or misinterpretation. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to. This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you should or shouldn't do. Rather, take it in the spirit in which it’s intended - a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us and the communities in which we participate.

This code of conduct applies to all spaces within the AIS forum. If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing AIS Membership Director (Melissa@aisnet.org).

• Be friendly and patient.


• Be welcoming. We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, color, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion, and mental and physical ability.


• Be considerate. Your comments will be read by others, and you in turn will be influenced by the comments of others. Any comment you make will affect others, and you should take those consequences into account when making comments. Remember that we're a world-wide community, so you might not be communicating in someone else's primary language.


• Be respectful. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior or poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we cannot allow that frustration to turn into a personal attack. It’s important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one. Members of the AIS community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside.


• Be careful in the words that you choose. We are a community of professionals, and we conduct ourselves professionally. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behavior aren't acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:
  
  
  • Political advocacy, commentary, or debate
  • Violent threats or language directed against another person.
  • Discriminatory jokes and language.
  • Posting sexually explicit or violent material.
  • Posting (or threatening to post) other people's personally identifying information ("doxing").
  • Personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms.
  • Unwelcome sexual attention.
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
  • Repeated harassment of others. In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.
• When we disagree, try to understand why. Disagreements happen all the time and AIS is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of AIS comes from its varied community, people from a wide range of backgrounds. Different people have different perspectives on issues. Being unable to understand why someone holds a viewpoint doesn’t mean that they’re wrong. Don’t forget that it is human to err and blaming each other doesn’t get us anywhere. Instead, focus on helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.



Adapted from the Django Code of Conduct at: https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/