We are a community made up of diverse people from diverse backgrounds. We want to work in a harmonious atmosphere and be respectful of differing points of view and cultures. As such we ask all community members to abide by the following code of conduct:

• Do not verbally abuse your team mates or clients. If you have a problem, take it off-list and express your concerns in a clear, non-emotional way so that they can understand what the issue is and address it. 
• If the conversation in a chat room or email thread is becoming uncomfortable for you, use a frowny face emoticon to let others know.
• Do not use profanity or foul language in public discussions - it may offend others and makes the company as a whole look bad.
• Do not make ad hominem attacks on your team mates based on their gender, ethnicity, body shape or other physical attributes - we are all different and it's just not cool.
• We are a company made up of people with different skills and capabilities - do not make derogatory comments about your team mate's work - help them to fix it or try to understand why they implemented it in the way they did.
• If you have an issue with someone in the team that you can't resolve directly with an amicable conversation, ask the team leader or someone else you trust to intervene on your behalf.

Above all we encourage you to not take life too seriously, have a little fun while you work, but not at the expense of the self-esteem of your teammates, or the good name of the company. Here is a more formal code of conduct, we encourage you to read it and abide by it:

Kartoza Code of Conduct

Kartoza is a community of people from all over the world. Diversity is one of our huge strengths, but it can also lead to communication issues and unhappiness. To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to when they’re participating within this community or any of its projects. These rules apply equally to founders, mentors and those seeking help and guidance.

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.

This code of conduct applies to all spaces managed by the Kartoza. This includes gitter channels (private and company wide), mailing lists, issue trackers, events, and any other forums created by the company that the community uses for communication.

If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing info@kartoza.com

• Be welcoming, friendly, and patient
• Be considerate: Your work will be used by other people, and you in turn will depend on the work of others. Any decision you take 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 respectful: 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 Kartoza should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the company.
• Be careful with your choice of words: We are a company 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.
  • Sexist, racist, or otherwise 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 and Kartoza is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we’re different. The strength of Kartoza 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, rather offer to help resolving issues and to help learn from mistakes.

Original text courtesy of the Speak Up! project, and Django Code of conduct

If you have questions, feel free to contact us: info@kartoza.com