Community Rules

• Be kind. Critique ideas and code, never people.
• Welcome everyone. Every background, every country, every level of experience.
• Stay on topic. Databases, systems, and the craft of building them.
• Give credit. Cite papers, respect licences, and be honest about your work.
• Protect privacy. What is shared in the community stays in the community.
• No spam, no harassment. Ever.

These rules apply everywhere the community gathers: our Discord server, our GitHub repositories and discussions, online sessions, in-person meetups, and any direct messages that start from community spaces. By joining, you agree to follow them.

Great engineering needs honest feedback, and honest feedback needs trust. Disagree as much as you like, but do it with care.

• Critique the code, the design, or the argument, never the person.
• Assume good intent. Ask what someone meant before deciding what they meant.
• Say "I was wrong" when you are. It is how we all learn.
• No insults, sarcasm aimed at people, or gatekeeping ("real engineers know this").

Our members join from many countries, cultures, and time zones. For many of us, English is a second or third language. Keep this in mind in every conversation.

• Be patient with language. Never mock grammar, spelling, or accents. Clear ideas matter more than perfect English.
• Write for everyone. Prefer plain words over slang and local idioms, and explain acronyms the first time you use them.
• Respect time zones. Someone's evening is someone else's early morning. Do not expect instant replies, and include the time zone when you mention a time.
• Respect cultures and beliefs. Differences in background, religion, and customs are welcome here. Discrimination is not.
• Leave politics at the door. Keep divisive political and religious debates out of community spaces so everyone can feel at home.

We are here to learn how database and data systems work, from the query planner down to the disk. Keep discussions in the right channel so they are easy to find later.

• Use the channel that fits your topic, and start a thread for long discussions.
• Search before asking. Your question may already have a great answer.
• Off-topic chat is welcome in the channels made for it.

There is no such thing as a question that is too basic here. Everyone started somewhere.

• When asking, share what you tried, what you expected, and what happened. Put code and errors in code blocks, not screenshots.
• When helping, explain the why, not just the fix. Point to papers, docs, or source code so people can go deeper.
• Ask in public channels so others can learn too. Do not direct message people for help unless they have offered.

• Cite the papers, articles, and code your work builds on.
• Respect licences. Only share code and material you have the right to share, and follow each repository's licence and contributing guide.
• Never present someone else's work, including a teammate's, as your own.
• If you use AI tools to write code or text you share, say so, and make sure you understand and have checked what you post.
• In research, report results honestly, including the ones that did not work out.

• Join on time when you can, and keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking.
• Raise your hand or use the chat to ask questions, and let speakers finish their thought.
• Some sessions are recorded for members who could not attend. We will always say so at the start. Keep your camera off or tell the host if you would rather not appear.
• Do not record, screenshot, or share other people's talks, slides, or recordings outside the community without their permission.
• At in-person events, follow the venue's rules and look out for each other.

• Never share anyone's personal information, such as their address, phone number, workplace, or private messages, without their clear permission.
• Do not screenshot or forward private conversations to shame or expose anyone.
• Be careful with links and files. Never post malware, phishing links, or leaked data.

The organising team only uses member information to run the community. We never sell it, and we never share it with partners or sponsors without asking you first.

• Job posts, events, and product announcements belong only in the channels set up for them, and should be relevant to the community.
• No unsolicited direct messages to recruit, sell, or promote.
• No crypto schemes, referral links, or mass mentions.
• Sharing your own open-source project or write-up is welcome. Just share it once, in the right place.

The following lead to immediate removal from the community, wherever they happen and whoever does them:

• Harassment, bullying, stalking, or intimidation of any kind.
• Hate speech or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, or any other identity.
• Sexual content, unwanted sexual attention, or advances.
• Threats of violence, or encouraging anyone to harm themselves or others.
• Sharing someone's private information to harm them.

If something makes you or someone else uncomfortable, please tell us, even if you are not sure it breaks a rule.

• Message any moderator or member of the organising team directly on Discord.
• Include what happened, where, and links or screenshots if you have them.
• Reports are handled in confidence. We will not share who reported without permission.
• Retaliating against someone for making a report is itself a serious violation.

If someone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first.

Moderators act fairly and consistently, and consider the full context of what happened. Most issues are simple misunderstandings, and a friendly word is usually enough.

• Reminder. A private, friendly note about the rule.
• Warning. A formal warning, and the content may be removed.
• Timeout. A temporary break from community spaces.
• Removal. A permanent ban from the community and its events.

Serious violations may skip straight to removal. If you believe a decision was unfair, you can ask a different member of the organising team to review it.

As the community grows, these rules will grow with it. When we make an important change, we will update the date at the top of this page and announce it in the community. Have a suggestion? We would love to hear it.