The Stack Exchange Network Code of Conduct (R7)

Update 7/19: This version is out of date. A new version will be released shortly.

Full version

Our mission is to build an inclusive community where all people feel welcome and can participate, regardless of expertise, identity, or language. Whether you’ve come to ask questions or to generously share what you know, join us in building a learning community that is rooted in kindness, collaboration, and mutual respect.

We commit to enforcing and improving the Code of Conduct. It applies to everyone using the Stack Exchange network, including our team, moderators, and anyone posting to our Q&A site or chat rooms.

Our Expectations

If you’re here to help others, be patient and welcoming. Learning how to participate in our community can be daunting, especially if someone is new. Be supportive while others are learning.

If you’re here to get help, make it as easy as possible for others to help you. Our community is made possible by volunteers. Follow our guidelines and don't worry if others suggest changes or edit your question - they’re trying to make your question helpful to as many people as possible.

Be friendly, clear, and constructive. Editing, commenting, and sharing feedback are healthy parts of our community. When giving feedback, avoid jokes and sarcasm -- tone is hard to decipher online. Be open to receiving constructive feedback.

If someone points out that your behavior is making others uncomfortable, stop doing it. Sometimes, people unconsciously say things that negatively affect others. Even if this wasn’t your intent, apologize and move on.

Unacceptable Behavior

No subtle put-downs or unwelcoming language. Regardless of intent, this behavior can have a significant negative impact on others. For example, saying “You could Google this in 5 seconds” is a subtle put-down.

No name-calling or personal attacks. Focus on the content, not the person. This includes terms that feel personal even when they're applied to content (like "lazy", "ignorant", or "whiny").

No discrimination of any kind. This includes any language likely to offend or alienate people based on (but not limited to): race, gender, gender identity or expression, English fluency, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, nationality, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body size, or religion.

No harassment. This includes, but isn’t limited to: bullying, intimidation, vulgar language, direct or indirect threats, sexually suggestive remarks, patterns of inappropriate social contact, and sustained disruptions of discussion.

Reporting and Enforcement

Every person contributes to creating a kind, respectful community. If you find unacceptable behavior directed at yourself or others, you can:

Flag the harmful content. Depending on the content, flagging will alert moderators or trigger an automatic deletion.
Address it directly. If you’re comfortable addressing the person who instigated it, let them know how this behavior affects you or others. You can also remind them of the Code of Conduct. If the behavior escalates, disengage immediately -- staff or moderators will take action.
Contact us. We’ll respond as quickly as we can.

We take your reports seriously. Those who don’t follow the Code of Conduct in good faith may face repercussions deemed appropriate by our moderation team. This is how moderators generally handle misconduct:

All actions will be taken on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of our moderators. Here are a few examples:

Behavior	Typical Action
Content that contains a subtle put-down, e.g. “Good grief, people voted this question up?” or “This is obvious, just Google it.”	Content deletion
Sexual content directed at another user, e.g. “@cass do you do that with your clothes on or off? ;)”	Account suspension
Using “sock puppet” voting to game the reputation system	Account suspension
Repetitive disruptive behavior that does not comply with moderator requests to stop	Expulsion from Stack Overflow

If you have concerns about how a moderator has handled a situation, contact us directly.

We created this Code of Conduct not because we expect misconduct, but because we believe that articulating our values reinforces the high level of respect our community expects from one another. Also, having a code provides us with clear avenues to correct our culture should it stray off-course.

We welcome your feedback on this and every other aspect of what we do at Stack Overflow. Thank you for working with us to build a kind, collaborative, and respectful learning community.

The above text incorporates ideas and language from the Coral Project and Tech Solidarity codes of conduct.

Q&A TL;DR:

Welcome to Stack Overflow

We’re committed to providing an open, welcoming space for all. By participating here, you are committing to our Code of Conduct:

If you’re here to help others, be patient and welcoming. Learning how to participate in our community can be daunting, especially if someone is new.

If you’re here to get help, make it as easy as possible for others to help you. Follow our guidelines and assume good intent when receiving feedback.

Be friendly, clear, and constructive. When giving feedback, avoid jokes and sarcasm -- tone is hard to decipher online.

Flag harmful behavior, whether it’s directed at you or others. Every person contributes to creating a kind, respectful community.

For more, see our [Code of Conduct](LINK).

Chat TL;DR:

Welcome to Stack Exchange Chat! We’re committed to providing an open, welcoming space for all. By participating here, you are committing to our Code of Conduct:

Be friendly, clear, and constructive. When giving feedback, avoid jokes and sarcasm -- tone is hard to decipher online.

If someone points out that your behavior is making others uncomfortable, stop doing it. Even if it wasn’t your intent, apologize and move on.

Flag harmful behavior, whether it’s directed at you or others. Every person contributes to creating a kind, respectful community.

For more, see our [Code of Conduct](LINK).