Introduction

Like the technical community as a whole, TC39 is made up of a mixture of professionals and volunteers from all over the world. To ensure a fair and balanced standards process, to avoid communication issues and unhappiness, and to promote inclusiveness, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to.

This isn’t an exhaustive list of things that you can’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 technical communities in which we participate and empower others to speak.

This Code of Conduct is enforced within all spaces managed by TC39. This includes chat rooms and forums moderated by TC39, issue trackers on projects hosted by TC39, and TC39 events and meetings.

If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing tc39-conduct-reports@googlegroups.com. For more details, please see our Reporting Guidelines.

Be respectful

Respect is a fundamental value of the standardization work. Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behavior and 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 TC39 community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the TC39 community.

Be friendly and patient

We understand that everyone has different levels of experience or knowledge in many diverse fields, be it technical or nontechnical in nature. We also have areas of knowledge we are eager to expand. We want to be a community where people can not only contribute, but feel comfortable to ask questions as well and learn along the way. When correcting another participant, respond with patience and try to keep it polite and civil. Remember that we all were newbies at one point.

Be inclusive

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 work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you make will affect users and colleagues, and you should take those consequences into account when making decisions. Remember that we’re a world-wide community, so you might not be communicating in someone else’s primary language.

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:

  • 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, both social and technical, happen all the time. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. There is strength in having a varied community with 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.

(Original text courtesy of OpenJS Foundation, Speak Up! project, and Django Project.)

Questions?

If you have questions, please see the FAQ. If that doesn’t answer your questions, feel free to email us.

Reporting Guidelines

If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing tc39-conduct-reports@googlegroups.com. All reports will be kept confidential. Only members of the Code of Conduct Committee, and possibly the Ecma ExeCom, will receive the reports. No identity will be made public before the individuals concerned have agreed to it.

If the act is ongoing, the Chair, Vice-Chair or any member of the Code of Conduct Committee should take immediate measures to stop it if possible, and to gather the information described below.

Reporting Anonymously

If you do not feel comfortable sending your report to the entire Code of Conduct Committee, then you may email one or more Code of Conduct Committee member(s) directly.

If that is not possible, we recommend creating a throwaway email account, and using that to send the report. This way, it is possible for the Committee to respond to you (to seek more information, for example).

In your report please include:

  • Your contact info (so we can get in touch with you if we need to follow up).
  • Names (real, nicknames, or pseudonyms) of any individuals involved. If there were other witnesses besides you, please try to include them as well.
  • When and where the incident occurred. Please be as specific as possible.
  • Your account of what occurred. If there is a publicly available record (e.g. project issue, forum post, or a public chat log) please include a link. Screenshots can be useful in the case something is edited or deleted before action is taken.
  • Any extra context you believe existed for the incident.
  • If you believe this incident is ongoing.
  • Any other information you believe we should have.

What happens after you file a report?

Reports will receive urgent and immediate attention from the Code of Conduct Committee. Please refer to the Enforcement Manual for the complete information on how reports will be processed.

Appealing

To appeal a decision of the Code of Conduct Committee, contact the Ecma Secretariat which will transfer the matter to the Ecma ExeCom.

Enforcement Manual

All responses to reports of conduct violations will be managed by a Code of Conduct Committee (“the Committee”).

TC39 will establish this Committee, comprised of at least three members. One member will be designated Chair of the Committee and will be responsible for all reports back to TC39. TC39 will review membership on a regular basis.

How the Committee Will Respond to Reports

When a report is sent to the Committee they will reply to the report to confirm receipt within 24 hours.

See the Reporting Guidelines for details of what reports should contain. If a report doesn’t contain enough information, the Committee will strive to obtain all relevant data before acting. The Committee is empowered to act on the TC39’s behalf in contacting any individuals involved to get a more complete account of events.

The Committee will then review the incident and determine, to the best of their ability:

  • What happened.
  • Whether this event constitutes a Code of Conduct violation.
  • Who, if anyone, was involved in the violation.
  • Whether this is an ongoing situation.

This information will be collected in writing, and whenever possible the Committee’s deliberations will be recorded and retained (e.g. chat transcripts, email discussions, or recorded voice conversations).

The Committee should aim to have a resolution agreed very rapidly; if not agreed within a week, it will inform the parties of the planned date.

Resolution

The Committee must agree on a resolution by consensus. If the Committee cannot reach consensus, the Committee will turn the matter over to the Ecma ExeCom for resolution.

Responses will be determined by the Committee on the basis of the information gathered and of the potential consequences. It may include taking no further action, issuing a reprimand (private or public), asking for an apology (private or public), or contacting the company that the individual belongs to. It could even result in a temporary or permanent exclusion from some of the TC39 working spaces such as repositories, forums, or chat. For any contemplated action other than a reprimand or an apology, the Committee shall inform the Ecma ExeCom. Any exclusion needs to follow the process described in the Ecma bylaws.

Such actions taken by the Committee will be reported as part of the TC39 report to the ExeCom.

The Committee will never publicly discuss the issue; all public statements, if needed, will be made by the TC39 Chair and/or the Ecma Secretariat.

Conflicts of Interest

In the event of any conflict of interest - i.e., members who are personally connected to a situation, a Committee member must immediately notify the other members, and recuse themselves.

Code of Conduct Committee

The Code of Conduct Committee deals with violations in the TC39 Code of Conduct.

Committee Members:

  • Jordan Harband (ljharb@gmail.com)
  • Chris de Almeida (TC39@SoftwareChris.com)
  • Mark Cohen (contact@mpc.sh)
  • Tab Atkins-Bittner (jackalmage@gmail.com)
  • Romulo Cintra (rcintra@igalia.com)

You can contact these people collectively at tc39-conduct or individually at their email address listed above. For more details please see the Reporting Guidelines.

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ attempts to address common questions and concerns around the TC39 Code of Conduct. If you still have questions after reading it, please feel free to contact us.

Why have you adopted a Code of Conduct?

We think the JS community is awesome. If you’re familiar with TC39, you’ll probably notice we are making progressive efforts to promote and improve diversity and inclusion to match the Code.

We know that the TC39 community is transparent, friendly, and welcoming. We want to make sure everyone else knows it too.

What does it mean to “adopt” a Code of Conduct?

For the most part, we don’t think it means large changes. We think that the text does a really good job describing the way TC39 already conducts itself. We expect that most people will simply continue to behave in the awesome way they have for years.

However, we do expect that people will abide by the spirit and words of the CoC when in official TC39 spaces. This code has been adopted by TC39. That means that it’ll apply both in community spaces and at TC39 events.

In practice, this means any TC39 chat rooms, issue tracking and code review tools, and official TC39 events.

What about TC39 events?

This Code of Conduct also covers all TC39 events since it is all about how we interact as a community. It’s about saying that the TC39 community will be open, friendly, and welcoming. The core issue is about ensuring the conversations we have are productive and inviting for all.

Real-life events, however, require a bit more care. TC39 wants to be sure that all of its events have policies and procedures in place for handling harassment. It’s especially important to us that real-life events take steps to protect the physical and mental security of their participants.

What happens if someone violates the Code of Conduct?

Our intent is that anyone in the community can stand up for this Code, and direct people who are unaware of this document. If that doesn’t work, or if you need more help, you can contact tc39-conduct-reports@googlegroups.com. For more details please see our Reporting Guidelines.

Why do we need a Code of Conduct? Everyone knows not to be a jerk.

Sadly, not everyone knows this.

However, even if everyone were kind, compassionate, and familiar with codes of conduct, it would still be incumbent upon our community to publish our own. Maintaining a Code of Conduct forces us to consider and articulate what kind of community we want to be, and serves as a constant reminder to put our best foot forward. But most importantly, it serves as a signpost to people looking to join our community that we feel these values are important.

This is censorship! I have the right to say whatever I want!

You do – in your space. If you’d like to hang out in our spaces (as clarified above), we have some simple guidelines to follow. If you want to, for example, form a group where TC39 proposals are discussed using language inappropriate for general channels then nobody’s stopping you. We respect your right to establish whatever codes of conduct you want in the spaces that belong to you. Please honor this Code of Conduct in our spaces.

References

Ecma Bylaws Article 5.1 (extract):

Membership of a company shall be terminated in the following cases: …

  • by expulsion for violation of Bylaws and Rules or for any other conduct prejudicial to the interest and correct functioning of the Association.

Ecma Bylaws, Articles 5.3, 5.4 5.5:

5.3 Any proposal to expel an Ecma member shall be backed by at least one-fifth of all the ordinary members. The proposal to expel shall be on the agenda for the General Assembly at which is it going to be discussed so as to give the member the opportunity to present its case. 5.4 A two-thirds majority of all the ordinary members is necessary to expel an Ecma member. Such expulsion will become effective 15 days after notification by registered mail. 5.5 An Ecma member which had been expelled can only be re-admitted by the General Assembly with a two-thirds majority of all ordinary members.

TC39 has specified further the terms of “prejudicial conduct” and has expanded on how to deal with incidents that can lead to it, in the TC39 Code of Conduct below. Other committees may want to have similar codes.