Whether you're here to contribute to my projects, discuss ideas, or just hang out — I'm glad you're here! Think of these guidelines as our community handbook — not a bunch of scary rules, but simply how we keep things welcoming, fun, and productive for everyone who joins the conversation.
These guidelines cover all the places where our community hangs out:
- Digital spaces: My GitHub repositories, discussion forums, social media interactions, and anywhere we gather online to share ideas and solve problems together.
- Real-world interactions: If we ever meet at conferences, meetups, or other tech events — these same principles apply.
- Beyond my projects: When you're representing our little community elsewhere, I hope you'll carry these values with you.
Note
If something happens outside our spaces but affects the safety or well-being of someone, I want to address it — we've got each other's backs.
I'm all about creating an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Here's what that looks like in practice:
- New to my projects? I remember what it's like being new! I'll do my best to help you get oriented and make sure you feel welcome.
- Been here a while? Pay it forward! Welcome newcomers, share your knowledge, and remember that everyone's learning journey is different.
- Language matters: We come from all over the world with different languages and communication styles. Let's be patient with each other and use words that include rather than exclude.
- Assume the best intentions: Most misunderstandings happen because we're coming from different perspectives, not because someone's trying to be difficult.
- Give helpful feedback: When reviewing code or discussing ideas, focus on being constructive. "Here's a way to make this even better" hits differently than "This is wrong."
- Ask questions: Don't know something? Perfect! Ask away. Made a mistake? Even better — now we'll learn from it.
- Share credit: When someone helps you out or inspires your work, give them a shout-out. Good vibes are contagious!
- Stay on topic: While I love getting to know each other, let's keep our project discussions focused so everyone can follow along.
- Respect decisions: I work hard to keep my projects moving forward. Even if you disagree with a decision, let's discuss it constructively.
- Disagree gracefully: Different opinions make us stronger! When we don't see eye to eye, let's focus on the ideas, not the people behind them.
I'm pretty chill, but there are definitely some things that'll never fly in my community:
- Harassment and discrimination: This should go without saying, but threatening, intimidating, or discriminating against anyone for any reason is not okay.
- Personal attacks: Attacking the person instead of addressing the idea? Nope. Insults, trolling, or deliberately trying to upset people? Again, nope.
- Disruptive behavior: Spamming, excessive self-promotion, sharing inappropriate content, or deliberately derailing conversations makes everyone unpleasant.
- Abuse of trust: This includes things like sharing private information without permission, encouraging others to break guidelines, or retaliating against those who report issues.
Important
I trust that you're here in good faith, and I hope you'll trust me to handle any issues fairly and thoughtfully.
Disagreements happen! We're a diverse group with strong opinions, and that's totally fine. Here's how I like to handle it when things get heated:
- Start with curiosity: Instead of "You're wrong," try "Help me understand your perspective." You might learn something!
- Focus on the problem, not the person: Attack the code, not the coder. Critique the idea, not the human behind it.
- Look for common ground: We're usually all trying to solve the same problem — we just have different ideas about getting there.
- Know when to take a break: Sometimes the best thing to do is step away and come back with fresh eyes.
- Ask for help: If you can't work it out, feel free to reach out to me directly. No shame in asking!
Note
Not understanding someone else's viewpoint doesn't make them wrong. Our different perspectives are what make us stronger as a community.
See something concerning? Drop me a line at william@hallin.media, and I promise to handle it with care and discretion. Tell me what happened, when and where it occurred, and share any relevant screenshots or details. Don't worry about having "proof" — I just want to understand the situation first.
Confused about something? Want to chat about community stuff? Drop me a line at william@hallin.media — I'm friendly, I promise!