devopsdays Chicago - Conduct

Purpose

The organizers of DevOpsDays Chicago are committed to enabling an event at which everyone can participate in an inclusive, respectful and safe environment. All participants are expected to behave with integrity and respect towards all participants attending or involved with DevOpsDays Chicago.

Scope / Applicability

The Code of Conduct applies to all DevOpsDays Chicago events which includes conferences, workshops, meetups, social events and any other event organized by DevOpsDays Chicago.

The Code of Conduct applies to all participants at a DevOpsDays Chicago event. Including attendees, speakers, sponsors, volunteers, organizers and guests.

Report contact details

Our Code of Conduct team members are:

Our Code of Conduct team is available during all official events, including the speaker dinner and the social event(s), and stays sober throughout all events.

Our standards & values

Inclusiveness and respect for differences are core DevOps values, and we invite you to help us make this event a place that is welcoming and respectful to all participants. Examples of behavior that contributes to a positive environment for our community include:

  • Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people;
  • Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences;
  • Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback;
  • Accepting responsibility and apologizing to those affected by our mistakes, and learning from the experience;
  • Focusing on what is best not just for us as individuals, but for the overall community.

Don’t judge and make assumptions just because someone is different whether in some visible way or in their lived experience. We ask everybody to treat each other with respect.

Prohibited conduct

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, or the choice to wear a protective face mask. Examples of unacceptable behavior include:

  • The use of sexualized language, imagery, or clothing, and sexual attention or advances of any kind;
  • Unwelcome touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing or purposefully brushing up against a person;
  • Rating a person’s appearance on a scale of 1-10;
  • Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks;
  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events;
  • Publishing others’ private information, such as a physical or email address, without their explicit permission;
  • Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a professional setting.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Complaint process

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the conference staff or Code of Conduct team immediately. Conference staff can be identified by distinct DevOpsDays Chicago shirts. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference with no refund.

Examples of appropriate action may include, but are not limited to:

  • Undertaking a fact-finding exercise;
  • Requesting the offender to immediately stop the offending behavior;
  • Suspending or terminating the offender’s access to the event;
  • Conveying the complaint to any investigative or disciplinary authority with jurisdiction over the person accused of harassment;
  • Contacting the offender’s employer for appropriate follow-up action.

We’re happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance.

Attribution

The DevOpsDays Chicago 2025 Code of Conduct is based on the Contributor Covenant, version 2.1, and the UN Code of Conduct.