This is version 0.1 of the MassOS Project Code of Conduct, last updated on 2026-02-28. Note that this version is incomplete, and the document is undergoing work. Expect versions of the document greater than 1.x to be finalized versions.
Copyright (C) 2026 Daniel Massey <contact (at) dmassey (dot) net>
This document is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC-BY-SA-4.0). To view a copy of this license, please visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.
The author(s) of this document kindly ask that all references to MassOS, MassOS Project, MassOS operating system, and MassOS developers be removed or replaced in modified versions of the document. This is to avoid modified versions being mistaken for the original version currently used by MassOS.
MassOS is a heavily community-driven project. As such, the safety and integrity of the community very seriously. The term "Contribution", used throughout this document, can refer to (but is not limited to) the following:
- Creating or commenting on issues, pull requests and discussions on the MassOS repositories on GitHub.
- Contributing to any discussion (including asking for support) on any official MassOS communities, platforms or forums.
By contributing to MassOS, you agree to abide by the rules and expectations outlined in this document at all times, and to the best of your ability, so as to ensure that the MassOS community remains welcoming and constructive. The MassOS developers, maintainers and community moderators will also make every effort to follow these rules, and will act upon violations where necessary.
Although these rules may seem strict or harsh, they are designed to reflect the best interests of everyone who participates in the MassOS community, and to ensure that the MassOS community remains a safe space that everyone can be a part of, as well as ensuring that the community remains productive and useful to anyone who may need or want it. Some limitations have to be placed on each individual's freedom, for the sake of protecting everyone else's freedoms from being unfairly encroached on.
If you disagree with any of the rules outlined below, you can still use MassOS itself, as a separate license document covers the OS and surrounding programs. This code of conduct only applies for interactions with the MassOS community.
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Treat people with respect. Everyone who is part of the MassOS community is expected to treat others with respect, and in exchange, be treated with respect by others. Any form of harassment, discrimination or personal attacks/insults towards anyone inside or outside of the community will not be tolerated. Bigoted remarks against protected characteristics, including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, nationality, religion/faith (or lack thereof), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability are not tolerated under any circumstance. Constructive criticism and debate is always welcome, but should always be directed at ideas and statements, not individuals.
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Respect the privacy of others. Do not leak or divulge personal or sensitive information about anyone without their explicit permission. This can incorporate personally-identifiable information that they have chosen not to share on the internet, as well as cryptographic encryption/signing keys, if applicable.
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Don't impersonate others. Do not impersonate anyone, whether it be another member of the community, an individual outside the community, or a community moderator, for any reason. This can include changing your displayed name and profile picture to match someone else's, making statements claiming to be another individual, or untruthfully claiming to represent an organization or group. An exception this rule is made for satirical contexts, provided that it is abundantly clear to everyone that you are not serious, and there is no doubt or ambiguity about such. Creating an "alt" account to evade a ban is also considered a violation of this rule.
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Don't spread misinformation. Do not intentionally or knowingly spread misinformation of any kind. This includes, but is not limited to: information about ideas, products, items, and individuals. If you unintentionally spread misinformation, always be open to corrections and acknowledge when you were in the wrong. If what you spread was actually an opinion disguised as a factual statement, then clearly indicate it as such, to avoid any possible ambiguity or confusion which could otherwise arise.
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No NSFW content. Any content, including text, images, audio, and video, that one could reasonably expect to be considered Not Safe For Work (NSFW), is expressly forbidden anywhere within the community. This includes, but is not limited to: pornographic material, depictions of extreme graphic violence, depictions of cruelty, torture or unusual punishment towards humans or animals, or any material of a similar nature. No channel for such content will ever be provided anywhere within the community.
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Do not spam. No spamming of any kind is tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to: excessively sending messages or media in channels that aren't designed for it, or repeating your messages when you don't receive a response immediately.
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No advertising or self-promotion. Do not advertise or self-promote anywhere within the MassOS community. This includes promoting your own blog website, social media profile/channel, as well as advertising any commercial product or service. This is seen as taking advantage of the MassOS community for personal gain, whether it be for publicity, profit, or any other selfish incentive.
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Keep discussions on-topic. In most situations, discussions should remain on-topic to the MassOS operating system and the MassOS project as a whole. Discussions which are not directly related to MassOS should be taken elsewhere on the internet, except when they take place exclusively in designated "off-topic" areas of the official forums and online communities (assuming any such areas exist). This incorporates general chat which is not relevant to MassOS, as well as opinions and debate which aren't to do with the MassOS project. Furthermore, certain topics may be designated as "controversial", in which case they should be taken elsewhere on the internet entirely. These can include, but are not limited to: politics, religion, sports, and nationalism. While these issues may be deeply ingrained into society and many individuals' identities, discussions and commentary about them are likely to result in unrest, which the MassOS community has no desire to deal with.
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Speak in English or use machine-translation. While MassOS is designed to be accessible to anyone, the primary communication language within the project is English, and all conversations should take place within this language, as the MassOS developers and community moderators may be unable to understand other languages. If you don't speak English, or are not fluent enough to be able to have basic conversations, then please use a machine-translation tool. Inform the developer/moderator you are speaking to about this fact, and they will take additional care to ensure the communication is as smooth as possible (for example, by sticking to simple words and phrases and not using complicated vocabulary). Furthermore, when speaking with others in a public channel, it is considered disrespectful to communicate in a language (or with encryption) that is intended to only be seen by one or more specific users, and that most other users will not be able to read. In this situation, you should use a form of direct communication, such as email or direct message, instead.
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Follow platform-wide policies. The set of rules outlined above act wholly separate to any platform-wide policies; they do not override them. In addition to complying with the rules listed in this document, you are expected to always be familiar with, and follow, any platform-specific terms of service or community guidelines. Because these policies apply on a per-platform basis, it is not possible for any platform's relevant documents to be linked from this code of conduct. Most platforms will provide links to these documents at the time you create your account, as well as being available to view from the platform's support page.
Section TBD.