Unfortunately, attendees sometimes make bad choices (especially younger attendees). When these choices prevent others from enjoying themselves or endanger the safety of the event, it’s our job as Code Evangelists to intervene.
When we do, our goal is to get things back on track as quickly as possible. That means we:
At CodeDay events, students are subject to the Code of Conduct and Community Standards. You should make a point to familiarize yourself, but never let the lack of a rule prevent you from standing up for what’s right.
Likewise, it’s important that we apply our conduct standards equally to everyone, even if they’re a critical member of the event staff, a $5,000 sponsor, or a VIP.
Many people are hesitant to report a conduct violation because they’re afraid of retaliation. As Code Evangelists, we quite obviously have an obligation to prevent any retaliation from other volunteers or attendees, but we also cannot expect to overcome this fear by promises alone.
It’s important that we keep an eye out for behavior which might indicate that someone is uncomfortable, which isn’t always obvious. For example, a community member who was being harassed once hid in a bathroom for over an hour. If something doesn’t look right, it’s easy to quietly ask how one of our community members is doing.
When we do receive information about a violation, it’s important that we do our best to preserve their anonymity. This can be tricky, so if you’re unsure how to do that, escalate to the Conduct team immediately.
Every situation is different. When we see something wrong, we often want to intervene right away, but this rarely leads to the best outcome. Taking 30 seconds to consider the unique situation will help you make the best decisions.