---
title: "FreeBSD Community Code of Conduct"
sidenav: docs
---

= FreeBSD Community Code of Conduct

== FreeBSD Community Code of Conduct

The FreeBSD community has always worked to be a welcoming and respectful community, and we want to ensure that doesn't change as we grow and evolve.
To that end, we have a few ground rules that we ask people to adhere to:

* be friendly and patient,
* be welcoming,
* be considerate,
* be respectful,
* be careful in the words that you choose and be kind to others,
* when we disagree, try to understand why.

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 communicate and participate in the community.

This code of conduct applies to all spaces managed by the FreeBSD project.
This includes online chat, mailing lists, bug trackers, FreeBSD events such as the developer meetings and socials, and any other forums created by the project that the community uses for communication.
It applies to all of your communication and conduct in these spaces, including emails, chats, things you say, slides, videos, posters, signs, or even t-shirts you display in these spaces.
In addition, violations of this code outside these spaces may, in rare cases, affect a person's ability to participate within them, when the conduct amounts to an egregious violation of this code.

If you believe someone is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing mailto:conduct@freebsd.org[conduct@FreeBSD.org].
For more details please see our link:../conduct-reporting/[Reporting Guide].

* *Be friendly and patient.*
* *Be welcoming.* We strive to be a community that welcomes and supports people of all backgrounds and identities. This includes, but is not limited to members of any race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, color, immigration status, social and economic class, educational level, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, size, family status, political belief, religion or lack thereof, and mental and physical ability.
* *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. 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 the FreeBSD community should be respectful when dealing with other members as well as with people outside the FreeBSD community.
* *Be careful in the words that you choose and 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.
** 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.
* *In general, if someone asks you to stop, then stop.* Persisting in such behavior after being asked to stop is considered harassment.
* *When we disagree, try to understand why.* Disagreements, both social and technical, happen all the time and FreeBSD is no exception. It is important that we resolve disagreements and differing views constructively. Remember that we're different. The strength of FreeBSD 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. Instead, focus on helping to resolve issues and learning from mistakes.

== Questions?

If you have questions, please feel free to contact the FreeBSD Code of Conduct Committee by emailing mailto:conduct@freebsd.org[conduct@FreeBSD.org].

(This text is based on the LLVM Project's https://llvm.org/docs/CodeOfConduct.html[draft CoC], which in turn is based on the https://www.djangoproject.com/conduct/[Django Project] Code of Conduct, which is in turn based on wording from the Speak Up! project.)

Publication date: 2020-06-09