Collaboration guidelines

D R A F T

TITiPI Collaboration guidelines

These Collaboration Guidelines will be regularly updated (version 18/01/2023).

Purpose and scope

These Guidelines outline our expectations for all those who collaborate with The Institute for Technology in the Public Interest (TITiPI). They also explain what will happen if the Guidelines are transgressed.

We invite collaborators (paid or otherwise; sponsors; members; participants and other guests) to commit to these Collaboration Guidelines when participating in TITiPI activities, both online and in-person.

How do we treat each other?

• With mutual considerateness and supportive collaboration, solidarity, and respect. Attentive and appreciative interaction with each other.
• No discrimination, for example based on gender, gender identity, age, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic situation, language, religion, physical attributes or sexual orientation.
• With respect for the dignity, experiences, and perspectives of the communities impacted by extractive Computing Infrastructures and recognize that not all communities are impacted equally. Some are likely to benefit economically, socially, or otherwise, while others are likely to suffer from these systems.
• Recognizing that there are multiple forms of evidence of what extractive Computational Infrastructures are, and of their effects.
• Cognizant of the role power plays in shaping how we inhabit rooms, speak up, shape urgencies and commit to challenging unjust existing power structures such as (but absolutely not limited to) racism, sexism, ableism, anti-transness, anti-trans oppression and queer antagonism.
• Understanding that language is sensitive and everyone has their own preferences:
  • Use gender-neutral, non-discriminatory language and respect individual pronouns
  • Avoid ableist and other harmful language - learn more here: https://www.selfdefined.app/
  • Recognizing the difference between identity-first and person-first language, especially when discussing disability ("people with disabilities" vs. "disabled people"). Note: many activists from the disability community prefer using identity-first language
• Attentive to our surroundings and other participants, and alert organizers if we notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or transgressions of these Collaboration Guidelines, even if they seem inconsequential.
• Avoiding to make assumptions
  • Ask before touching anyone. That includes hugging – so please ask first
• Affirming the value of asking questions and requesting clarification, but also knowing that not all questions need to be answered.

How do we resolve conflicts?

TITiPI is committed to practicing restorative and transformative justice during conflicts. 

Harassment

Harassment is unacceptable by anyone collaborating with TITiPI, including organizers and those with decision-making authority; whether online, during live events or in one-on-one communications.

Harassment includes:

• intimidating, abusive, discriminatory, intentional misgendering, derogatory or demeaning speech or actions
• harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments related to gender, trans status, sexual orientation, physical appearance, body size, technical choices, lack of technical knowledge, ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion (or lack thereof) and other personal conditions and choices
• trolling, i.e. sustained disruption of conversations, talks or other events
• nonconsensual photography or recording
• nonconsensual use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces (including presentation slides)
• deliberate intimidation, stalking or following
• nonconsensual physical contact
• unwelcome sexual attention
• microaggressions, i.e. small, subtle, often subconscious actions that marginalize people from oppressed groups
• minimizing other people’s experiences

In case of harassment

If we notice harassment, we will take collective responsibility to respond, and we try to avoid focusing on judging and being or feeling judged.

Anyone asked to stop harassing behavior, is expected to stop immediately.

We will have no discussion about how behavior was meant. What we care about is how it makes someone feel. Please respect that if someone signals they are hurt by certain behavior, we will be asked to change that behavior or step out. Please also be aware that many of us have had to explain ourselves a lot and it’s not fair to assume that everybody has time and energy to give us extended explanations about how they feel.

Immediate intervention (help is needed now!)

If we are feeling unsafe or we notice someone in distress, we can immediately alert an organizer, or a member of TITiPI. They will do their best to help, or find the correct assistance if relevant and necessary.

Non-immediate intervention (a situation that requires more time)

If we feel comfortable or able to, we discuss the issues with the involved parties. We prefer to constructively resolve disagreements together, when it is possible and safe to do so. However, if the problems still persists, please find a TITiPI member who will do their best to unlock the situation or contact us at: info@titipi.org

Licence and Attribution

These Collaboration Guidelines combine the Queer Code of Conduct, The Constant Guidelines for Collaboration, the Commitment read at Optimization and Its Miscontents: Counterpolitics of Surveillance Capitalism (Berlin, 2019), Code of Co-living, HYPERWERKINSTITUTE IXDM and 2022 hybrid Allied Media Conference - How-to. Each of these documents themselves are relying on the important work by communities committed to creating safer environments. These Guidelines are released under The Collective Conditions for Re-Use and are open to suggestions and criticism: info@titipi.org