Our Commitment
At commonux.org, we believe that ethical design starts with ethical interaction. Great user experiences are only possible in environments that are safe, inclusive, and free from exploitation — technical or interpersonal.
We’re committed to making this platform a space where manipulation, gaslighting, discrimination, and abuse of power have no foothold. Everyone – regardless of age, appearance, disability (visible or invisible), ethnicity, gender identity and expression, experience level, nationality, race, religion, sexual identity, or socioeconomic background – deserves respect, fairness, and protection from harm.
We don’t just design for users. We defend human dignity in how we work, speak, and build community.
What We Expect
Everyone engaging with this platform – whether in contributions, conversations, collaborations, or code – is expected to:
- Act with integrity even when no one is watching
- Listen with humility, not just to reply but to understand
- Give credit generously, especially when others are overlooked
- Challenge ideas, not people – and always without cruelty
- Stay open to correction, growth, and shared accountability
- Put people over process, and ethics over ego
We welcome constructive friction, but not power plays masquerading as debate.
What We Do Not Tolerate
We’re explicit about the behaviors that have no place here – because we’ve seen the damage they cause.
Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:
- Harassment, threats, intimidation, or coercion (in public or private)
- Gaslighting, silencing, or undermining others’ realities
- UI deception or dark pattern advocacy as a “design discussion”
- Exploiting someone’s work, access, or visibility for personal gain
- Misuse of internal information, credentials, or networks
- Discrimination in any form – especially systemic or strategic exclusion
- Withholding credit, silencing whistleblowers, or retaliating against dissent
- Sharing personal information without explicit, informed consent
Abuse thrives in ambiguity. So we draw a hard line.
Enforcement & Moderation
Our moderation exists not to police, but to protect.
We reserve the right to warn, restrict, suspend, or ban anyone whose behavior contradicts this Code. Content may be removed, access revoked, and participation paused if needed to safeguard community wellbeing.
All actions are taken with discretion, fairness, and care. But we will not prioritize politeness over safety.
Where It Applies
This Code applies to:
- All digital spaces connected to commonux.org (e.g. websites, documents, channels, events)
- Any context where someone represents commonux.org in a public or professional capacity
- Third-party platforms where our community interacts (Slack, Notion, Discord, GitHub, etc.)
Being “off-platform” does not exempt you from ethical responsibility.
Reporting a Violation
If you’ve experienced or witnessed something that violates this Code — even if it’s subtle, ambiguous, or hard to name — we encourage you to speak up.
Email us directly at join@commonux.org
Reports are reviewed promptly, respectfully, and confidentially. We do not tolerate retaliation in any form against those who report in good faith.
Consequences: What Happens Next
We follow a clear escalation model:
- Friendly Reminder – A confidential check-in to clarify expectations
- Warning – A documented notice of the issue, with temporary restrictions if needed
- Temporary Ban – Revoked access for a defined period
- Permanent Ban – For sustained or severe violations
Some violations will bypass steps depending on severity. Protection, not procedure, is our priority.
Credits & License
This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Contributor Covenant v2.0, with inspiration from Mozilla’s community enforcement ladder — and the lived experiences of those who’ve endured unethical environments and choose to build better ones.