‍Storj Labs Inc. Community Code of Conduct

Last Updated March 19, 2020


Violations of The Storj Community Code of Conduct

Thank you for being a part of The Storj Labs, Inc. Community (“Storj” or “Company”). Whether you’re a developer and want to use a Tardigrade for your application or already operating a storage node, or you’re interested in setting one up, our community is ready to help you find answers to questions, troubleshoot issues, or just chat about our products and services. We also welcome open source contributors who want to help improve Storj and create a better internet for everyone.

Storj is committed to providing a community in which everyone is respected, welcome, included, and belongs; a community free from discrimination, harassment, and intimidation for any reason. In keeping with these principles, we request all community members abide by The Storj Community Code of Conduct (“Code of Conduct”) guidelines which outline acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Should the need arise, The Storj Community Code of Conduct identifies the process for members to raise concerns about behavior within The Storj Community. To encourage Code of Conduct enforcement, retaliation for raising information about complaints will not be tolerated.

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Legal

Users of The Storj Forum (Hereinafter "The Forum") and members of The Storj Community (Hereinafter "The Community") must abide by all applicable local, national and international laws while using The Forum and participating in The Community.

The Storj Community Code of Conduct applies to all participants in all Storj sponsored spaces. This includes, but is not limited to, our online platforms, mailing lists, virtual events, and in-person events.

By engaging with the Storj Community, you agree to be bound by the terms of this Code of Conduct, as well as Storj’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy (for all subscribers). You agree to accept this Code of Conduct in its entirety and without modification.  Storj will not accept any modifications to this Code of Conduct other than modifications the Company itself may choose to make.

Storj may amend this Code of Conduct at any time. Any updates will be published on our website(s).  We may also change, add or remove any of the social media channels provided to the Storj Community (and the features provided there) at any time.

If any change that Storj makes is unacceptable to you, you should discontinue your use of and participation in the Storj Community.  Your continued participation in the Storj Community indicates your acceptance of this Code of Conduct, along with any changes Storj has made.All information and instructions given within The Forum and The Community are to be used at your own risk. By following or using any of the information or advice given by The Community members or The Forum participants, you waive the right to hold Storj liable for any damages.

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Violations of The Storj Community Code of Conduct

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Values

  1. Storj is committed to upholding Community values that foster respect:
  2. We are mindful of others’ time. Before posing a question, explore the platform and use The Forum search functions to determine if the information you require has already been posted.
  3. We engage with professionalism and aim to include diverse perspectives while ensuring constructive and respectful dialogue.
  4. We collaborate to strengthen our individual and collective knowledge, experience and points of view.
  5. We add value by contributing to the group, sharing experiences, resources, and/or time through volunteer opportunities within The Community.
  6. We help others operate under The Code of Conduct. Please flag and report activity which you believe violates The Code of Conduct by reporting requests that others make of you to Community Leads (e.g., if someone asks you to promote their service in The Community and/or advance their personal or professional interests).

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Etiquette

  1. Please post your questions or messages in the appropriate section of The Forum.
  2. Answers to many of the questions you may have can be found in past Forum threads. Please use the search functions to find existing answers and discussions on your topic. If you are still having problems, feel free to post your question or contact an administrator.
  3. Posting copyrighted material in The Forum is strictly prohibited.
  4. The Forum may flag or delete offensive posts. If the requested action is not done in a reasonably timely manner, a Community Lead may delete the material.
  5. Posts may be deleted for any reasons the Community Leads deem reasonable or violative of The Code of Conduct.

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Violence and Threats Thereof

Storj has a zero-tolerance policy for threats or acts of violence and will result in immediate and permanent suspension from The Forum. This includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Language regarding harming or killing others
  2. Language regarding threats to hack, DDOS, or SWAT others
  3. Language regarding use of weapons to threaten, intimidate, harm or kill others
  4. Language regarding intimidation, humiliation, or attack tactics

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Hateful Conduct and Harassment

Storj has a zero-tolerance policy for and strictly prohibits any language that promotes, encourages, or facilitates discrimination, denigration, objectification, harassment, or violence based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, medical condition, physical characteristics, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, education, socioeconomic status, or any mental, emotional, psychological or other attributes.

All accounts associated with such conduct will be immediately temporarily suspended until a Community Lead determines the appropriate enforcement actions, including and up to permanent suspension.

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Unwanted Contact

Do not continue to engage in unwanted communication. Continuing to send messages to someone or send messages about Community members who have asked you to discontinue contact is prohibited.

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Inappropriate Promotions and Solicitations

Any language that disrupts, interrupts, harms, or otherwise violates the integrity of Storj services or another user's experience or devices is prohibited. Such activities include but are not limited to:

  1. Posting large amounts of repetitive, unwanted messages or user reports
  2. Distributing unauthorized advertisements
  3. Phishing
  4. Defrauding others
  5. Impersonating Storj staff
  6. Spreading malware or viruses

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Reporting Violations

Members of The Community are encouraged to report infractions to The Code of Conduct by reporting content using the flagging tool in The Forum.

All reports will be assessed by the internal review team to determine the appropriate course of action. Situations that may appear imminently dangerous can be reported to legal authorities.

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Resolution Process

Reports will be assessed by the review team to determine:

  1. If a member has violated The Code of Conduct
  2. If the potential impact of the infraction, if one is found, and
  3. Consequences for any infractions found.

If it is determined The Storj Community Code of Conduct has been violated, a Level of Conduct will be assigned along with correlating consequences.

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Level 1

  1. Promotes self interest
  2. Directly or indirectly markets, sells or promotes services or products offered outside of Storj, including unsolicited direct-inbox messages to other members of The Community.

1st Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Directly or indirectly markets, sells or promotes services or products offered outside of Storj, including unsolicited direct-inbox messages to other members of The Community.

2nd Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Warning about removal from The Community and The Forum, should a violation occur within 1 year of the initial infraction

3rd Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Membership and future participation are forfeited

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Level 2

Conduct that is harmful to the Storj culture.

1st Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Warning about removal from The Community and The Forum, should a violation occur within 1 year of the initial infraction

2nd Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Membership and future participation are forfeited

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Level 3

Conduct that is harmful to the Storj culture.

Situations which appear imminently dangerous may be reported to legal authorities.

1st Offense:

  1. Removal of content from The Community
  2. Membership is forfeited

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Form Trust Levels

Trust Levels develop in The Forum based on user participation levels and behaviors. To learn more about earning Trust Levels and their functionality please read: https://blog.discourse.org/2018/06/understanding-discourse-trust-levels

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Violations of The Storj Community Code of Conduct

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A violation of The Storj Community Code of Conduct means a member engaged in a way that violates The Code.

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Reminder

A Reminder is issued in writing. This sanction is disclosed only to the person found in violation and to the individual who originally filed the complaint.

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Warning

A Warning is issued in writing. This sanction is disclosed only to the person found in violation and to the individual who originally filed the complaint.

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Forfeiture

In situations involving illegal or flagrant misconduct, a member may be required to forfeit membership for a period of time. The internal review team reserves the right to make decisions to revoke membership in The Community and/or The Forum based on their discretion after reviewing documentation and violation claims.

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Disputes

We understand that miscommunication occurs. If you feel there was a misunderstanding in the review process, you may appeal any consequence determined by the review team.

If participation is reinstated, the returning participant must agree, in writing, to adhere to The Storj Code of Conduct.

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Privacy In Reporting

The review team will not reveal the identity of an individual filing a report without the consent of the individual who filed the report. The individual filing a report will be notified regarding the outcome.

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Suspensions

All suspensions, forfeitures and bans are binding until natural expiration or lifting of penalty upon successful appeal to a Community Lead. Attempts to circumvent suspensions or bans with alternative accounts will result in further penalties which may include permanent suspension from all Storj Community spaces, events and associated communications.

Commitment to Improvement

The Storj Community Code of Conduct is a living document, and will evolve as needed. If you believe anything is missing, incorrect, or needs updating, please reach out to the Community Leads.