The WTS Way

Women in Tech SEO - Community Rules, Values & Code of Conduct

Women in Tech SEO is a global community in the SEO and marketing industry to discuss, share and learn from one another. The aim is to empower each other in a positive, inspiring and beneficial way, and to help build our network and accelerate our careers.

We are dedicated to providing a safe community space and harassment-free experience for everyone, in our online groups and in our in-person conferences, regardless of identity and expression, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, political beliefs, race, age or religion.

We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form. Participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from our community groups and events without a refund at the discretion of the organisers.

Our community values are:

✔️ To be kind

✔️ To be helpful

✔️ To be respectful

✔️ To be a safe and judgement-free community

A focus on us and our collective goals

Our community is a space for conversations and discussions that center on our collective career goals of providing and receiving:

✔️ Connections

✔️ Education

✔️ Amplification

✔️ Opportunities

What you share in our community spaces should contribute to driving each other forward in our careers within these areas of focus.

Note: This community is not equipped to provide mental health advice or support. Mental health is important and requires professional support. Please seek guidance from a qualified medical professional for any mental health concerns.

Community Rules

1) Be kind and courteous

We're all in this together to create a welcoming environment. Let's treat everyone with respect and kindness.

2) No hate speech or bullying

Make sure everyone feels safe. Bullying of any kind isn't allowed, and degrading comments about things such as gender, race, religion, culture, political beliefs, sexual orientation or identity will not be tolerated.

3) No promotions or spam

Give more to this group than you take. Spam, irrelevant links and unsolicited direct messages are never allowed. This does not include self-promoting some of your great pieces of work! In order to provide paid offers on services to our community, you must be an active WTSPartner.

4) Respect everyone's privacy

Being part of this group requires mutual trust. What's shared in the group must stay in the group.

5) Respect those outside the community

The same rules that apply to how we treat one another also apply to how we speak about those outside the community. Sharing private screenshots, giving negative feedback on companies, agencies, tool providers or industry folks is not allowed.

6) There's no such thing as a "stupid question"

Please don't caveat your questions as stupid or basic or simple. We're all here to help and support one another.

Anti-Harassment

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Comments that reinforce social structures of domination, related to identity and expression, gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, political beliefs, race, age, or religion
• The use of sexual imagery
• Deliberate intimidation, or stalking
• Harassing photography or recording
• Sustained disruption of talks or other events
• Unwelcome sexual attention
• Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour

Inclusive Language

Our commitment to inclusivity extends to the language we use in our community interactions. Here’s some tips on inclusive language:

• Use people’s preferred pronouns
• When in doubt, share your pronouns and ask for other’s to share theirs
• Embrace inclusive language like 'y'all,' 'folks,' and 'people'
• Correct with kindness, for example: "I believe they use 'they/them' pronouns.”

Consent

We value consent and it extends to all interactions, both online and during in-person events. Examples of opportunities to show respect and ask for consent:

Online

• Sharing someone’s contact information with others - always get their permission.
• Sharing other’s personal stories - make sure you have their OK.
• Recording meetings - let everyone know and ask if it’s alright.

In-Person

• Physical contact such as hugging - ask if they're comfortable with that.
• Taking photos or recordings of others - be mindful and ask for consent when appropriate.

Enforcement

If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, organisers retain the right to take any actions to keep the community a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or expulsion from the group and or/event with no refund.

Organisers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the group and or/event or making the environment hostile for any participants. We expect participants to follow these rules at all times, including in any group-related social activities.

Reporting

If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please report it as soon as possible to our organisers. Our team will be happy to help and assist you to feel safe.

Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our community for everyone. We want you to be happy, safe and comfortable in our group.

If you have any issues or concerns, please notify Areej AbuAli right away either via group direct messages or reach out via email: [email protected]

If this happens during an in-person event, please find Areej or a team member and say, “I have an issue, can we chat?”

Reportings will remain confidential to the best of our abilities. We will work with you to make sure we handle it in a way that is most comfortable for you.

Please refer to our Terms & Conditions for more details.

The WTS Way was last updated on July 10, 2024