# Stella Ops Code of Conduct  
*Contributor Covenant v2.1 + project‑specific escalation paths*

> We pledge to make participation in the Stella Ops community a
> harassment‑free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size,
> disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression,
> level of experience, education, socio‑economic status, nationality,
> personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.

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## 0 · Our standard

This project adopts the
[**Contributor Covenant v2.1**](https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/2/1/code_of_conduct/)
with the additions and clarifications listed below.  
If anything here conflicts with the upstream covenant, *our additions win*.

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## 1 · Scope

| Applies to | Examples |
|------------|----------|
| **All official spaces** | Repos under `git.stella-ops.org/stella-ops.org/*`, Matrix rooms (`#stellaops:*`), issue trackers, pull‑request reviews, community calls, and any event officially sponsored by Stella Ops |
| **Unofficial spaces that impact the project** | Public social‑media posts that target or harass community members, coordinated harassment campaigns, doxxing, etc. |

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## 2 · Reporting a violation ☎️

| Channel | When to use |
|---------|-------------|
| `conduct@stella-ops.org` (PGP key [`keys/#pgp`](../keys/#pgp)) | **Primary, confidential** – anything from micro‑aggressions to serious harassment |
| Matrix `/msg @coc-bot:libera.chat` | Quick, in‑chat nudge for minor issues |
| Public issue with label `coc` | Transparency preferred and **you feel safe** doing so |

We aim to acknowledge **within 48 hours** (business days, UTC).

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## 3 · Incident handlers 🛡️

| Name | Role | Alt‑contact |
|------|------|-------------|
| Alice Doe (`@alice`) | Core Maintainer • Security WG | `+1‑555‑0123` |
| Bob Ng (`@bob`) | UI Maintainer • Community lead | `+1‑555‑0456` |

If **any** handler is the subject of a complaint, skip them and contact another
handler directly or email `conduct@stella-ops.org` only.

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## 4 · Enforcement ladder ⚖️

1. **Private coaches / mediation** – first attempt to resolve misunderstandings.  
2. **Warning** – written, includes corrective actions & cooling‑off period.  
3. **Temporary exclusion** – mute (chat), read‑only (repo) for *N* days.  
4. **Permanent ban** – removal from all official spaces + revocation of roles.  

All decisions are documented **privately** (for confidentiality) but a summary
is published quarterly in the “Community Health” report.

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## 5 · Appeals 🔄

A sanctioned individual may appeal **once** by emailing
`appeals@stella-ops.org` within **14 days** of the decision.  
Appeals are reviewed by **three maintainers not involved in the original case**
and resolved within 30 days.

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## 6 · No‑retaliation policy 🛑

Retaliation against reporters **will not be tolerated** and results in
immediate progression to **Step 4** of the enforcement ladder.

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## 7 · Attribution & licence 📜

* Text adapted from Contributor Covenant v2.1 –  
  Copyright © 2014‑2024 Contributor Covenant Contributors  
  Licensed under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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