Status of This Document
This document is the W3C Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (CEPC) and has been retitled Code of Conduct to reflect its scope and content. If there is a reference to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (CEPC) in a W3C document or space, it is referring to this document.
This document has been reviewed by W3C Members and is endorsed by W3C as the W3C Code of Conduct. This document supersedes the 2020 CEPC.
This document was developed by the Positive Work Environment Community Group.
The Code of Conduct is maintained by the Positive Work Environment Community Group, under delegation from the Advisory Board. In order to keep the Code up to date with the needs and scope of W3C, PWE will routinely review and update the Code as needed, as per the relevant section of the Process.
If you have any concerns or issues with the Code of Conduct, they can be logged at any time in the PWE GitHub repository.
W3C is a growing and global community where participants choose
to work together. W3C is committed to maintaining a positive working
environment, where each participant feels appreciated and respected and
where everyone adheres to the same high level of standards of personal
behavior. In that process we experience differences in language,
location, nationality, and experience. In such a diverse environment,
misunderstandings and disagreements happen, which in most cases can be
resolved informally.
W3C's Code of Conduct
is useful to define accepted and acceptable behaviors and to
promote high standards of professional practice. The goal of this Code
of conduct is to ensure that W3C is an environment where everyone who
participates is treated equitably and with respect, including being able to participate without fear of harassment. It also provides a
benchmark for self evaluation and acts as a vehicle for better identity
of the organization.
The Code is complemented by a set of Procedures and applies
to any member of the W3C community – staff, members, invited experts,
and participants in W3C meetings, W3C teleconferences, W3C
mailing lists, Code repositories, W3C conferences or W3C functions, etc.
Note that this Code complements rather than replaces legal rights and
obligations pertaining to any particular situation.
Education and training
materials are available from the Positive Work Environment public homepage.