Re: [UG-ADMINS] Code of Conduct, Rules, etc.

Thanks for sharing. :-)

-- Jeremy Lindblom
PHP Software Engineer, AWS

> On Apr 28, 2014, at 9:39 AM, James Titcumb <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> As a result of this thread, one of the PHP Hampshire team has added a Code
> of Conduct to our website. I would hope that we'd never need to refer to
> it, and the behaviour I've seen at our relatively new UG has been good, so
> hopefully we never will.
> 
> However, here is ours, any feedback is welcome:
> http://www.phphants.co.uk/code-of-conduct :)
> 
> Thanks
> James
> 
> 
>> On 28 April 2014 14:35, Michelangelo van Dam <[email protected]> wrote:
>> 
>> We don't have a Code-of-Conduct, terms or any guidelines how people should
>> behave. Sandy makes a good point in regards to "legal" issues as businesses
>> use these legal documents to protect themselves from prosecution.
>> 
>> On the flip side of things, our user group is a registered organisation and
>> therefor a legal entity. This was a necessity for us to organise the
>> PHPBenelux conference more easy, but also to get an insurance for the
>> organisation covering everyone who's on staff and for attendees in case
>> something happens during an event of us.
>> 
>> And we don't have a "sue to sue" kind of society, so on that end we're
>> pretty safe. I do feel for all US communities as I know how these legal
>> claims can completely ruin a life.
>> 
>> Michelangelo
>> 
>> 
>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 9:07 PM, Sandy Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> I wonder if that actually works backwards, though: one of the reasons to
>>> have a company or organization is to shield individual participants from
>>> liability. So potentially someone could sue whoever is named as the
>>> organizer on Meetup if there is no organization behind the group and go
>>> after that person's assets (in the USA, not sure how it works elsewhere).
>>> 
>>> If someone with pro-bono access to a lawyer could run it past them, it
>>> might be helpful.
>>> 
>>> On Apr 24, 2014, at 2:54 PM, Brandon Savage <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> Absent a formal group being created, most user groups are informal
>>>> gatherings of individuals with common interests. To that end, just like
>>> if
>>>> I don't like how you behave in my house, I have  the right to ask you
>> to
>>>> leave. I don't think I need to spell out exactly what causes me to ask
>>> you
>>>> to leave, since that should be self-evident.
>>>> 
>>>> I think for groups that form some kind of legal entity, they may want
>> to
>>>> obtain a bit more protection with a formal policy. But my policy for
>> all
>>>> events is "don't be a jerk, or GTFO".
>>>> 
>>>> It probably boils down to group preference.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 12:37 PM, Jeremy Lindblom <
>> [email protected]
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> I'm finding that our group probably should have one. There haven't
>> been
>>> any
>>>>> big incidents, just a few things said on mailing lists causing some
>>>>> discomfort, along with a LOT of off topic chatter. I'd like to have
>>>>> something to point to. Thanks for your input everyone.
>>>>> 
>>>>> --
>>>>> *Jeremy Lindblom*
>>>>> PHP Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services <http://aws.amazon.com/>
>>>>> Co-author of the AWS SDK for PHP <http://aws.amazon.com/sdkforphp/>
>>>>> Co-organizer of the Seattle PHP User Group <
>>> http://www.meetup.com/php-49/>
>>>>> @jeremeamia <https://twitter.com/jeremeamia> | http://webjeremy.com |
>>>>> https://github.com/jeremeamia
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 9:18 AM, PHP Belfast <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>>> 
>>>>>> We published one on the basis that it doesn't hurt to have it, and if
>>>>>> someone does act the maggot, then we can point them to the published
>>>>> rules.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> The short version is
>>>>>> "Don't be a dick"
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> There is a longer version, which is very much a standard template.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It's a bit like corporate HR depts. - no-one actually wants to have
>>> them,
>>>>>> until they need them.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> I like the notes for speakers that sdphp has published. I might
>>> "borrow"
>>>>>> that ;)
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Thu, Apr 24, 2014 at 4:55 PM, Lorna Mitchell <[email protected]
>>> 
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I am not sure where I stand on whether codes of conduct are needed
>> by
>>>>>> user
>>>>>>> groups or not, but it certainly does not depend on whether something
>>>>> bad
>>>>>>> has already happened at your group.  As someone already mentioned, a
>>>>> CoC
>>>>>> at
>>>>>>> an event or user group shows that someone has considered how to
>> handle
>>>>>> any
>>>>>>> problems that do arise.  On a very personal level, I feel confident
>>>>> that
>>>>>>> someone, somewhere, would at least listen if the unthinkable should
>>>>>> happen.
>>>>>>> And people with that attitude tend to run events without issues,
>>>>>> strangely
>>>>>>> enough!
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> Lorna
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> On 24 April 2014 13:45, Adam Culp <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Although I did publish a CoC at SunshinePHP (
>> http://sunshinephp.com)
>>>>> I
>>>>>>>> mistakenly did not feel the need to do so for SoFloPHP
>>>>>>>> (http://soflophp.org).  A user group tends to be more intimate,
>> and
>>>>>>>> communication happens much more quickly and quietly...so I thought.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Last year I had one incident resulting in a member being asked to
>>>>>> leave,
>>>>>>>> which resulted in a blanket email to our members informing them of
>>>>> our
>>>>>>>> unpublished CoC.  It was also this occurrence that resulted in my
>>>>>> adding
>>>>>>>> 4 co-organizers to help keep an eye on things in my absence if I'm
>>>>>>>> travelling.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I would caution those who don't speak openly about this to your
>>>>>>>> members.  Don't make a big "stink" about it, but at the same time
>>>>> make
>>>>>>>> something public so members can feel comfortable and know what to
>> do
>>>>> in
>>>>>>>> case of one "bad apple".
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> As for a mission statement, I have that on the landing page of the
>>>>> user
>>>>>>>> group. http://soflophp.org.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> I've also set the meetup.com "thanks for joining" email to carry a
>>>>>>>> message setting clear bounds for recruiters.
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>>> Adam Culp
>>>>>>>> 561-870-6361
>>>>>>>> Twitter: @adamculp
>>>>>>>> LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adamculp
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> On 04/23/2014 05:00 PM, Jeremy Lindblom wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Do any of your user groups publish a code of conduct? group rules?
>>>>>>>> mission
>>>>>>>>> statements? or any other documents? Just curious.
>>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Jeremy Lindblom*
>>>>>>>>> PHP Software Engineer at Amazon Web Services <
>>>>> http://aws.amazon.com/
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Co-author of the AWS SDK for PHP <
>> http://aws.amazon.com/sdkforphp/
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>>> Co-organizer of the Seattle PHP User Group <
>>>>>>>> http://www.meetup.com/php-49/>
>>>>>>>>> @jeremeamia <https://twitter.com/jeremeamia> |
>>>>> http://webjeremy.com|
>>>>>>>>> https://github.com/jeremeamia
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Usergroup Coordination Mailing List (http://ug.php.net)
>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe, visit: http://www.php.net/unsub.php
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Lorna Mitchell
>>>>>>> http://lornajane.net
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> twitter: @PHPBelfast <https://twitter.comphpbelfast/>
>>>>>> web:    phpbelfast.com
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Sandy Smith - http://musketeers.me/
>>> php[architect] magazine: http://phparch.com/
>>> 
>>> @SandyS1
>>