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ThinkSpark policies

Code of conduct

First written: 5 July 2026 · Last updated: 10 October 2026

A lab is only as good as the way its members treat each other.

The short version

  • Be kind, honest and fair, especially in reviews.
  • Other members' unpublished ideas are confidential, and theirs.
  • Harassment and discrimination are never acceptable.
  • Report problems to hello@jointhinkspark.com. Reports are handled privately.

Our pledge

We pledge to make the lab welcoming, safe and fair for everyone who takes part in good faith, whatever their field, career stage, background or identity.

What we expect

  • Respect the lab's purpose: helping researchers build tools they can trust.
  • Be kind and honest, especially when reviewing someone's work.
  • Respect different fields, methods and experiences.
  • Take responsibility for your work and its effects.
  • Give and accept constructive feedback gracefully.
  • Treat other members' unpublished ideas and data as confidential, and as theirs.
  • Credit other people's work and ideas.
  • If you cause harm, help to repair it.

What is not okay

  • Harassment, including carrying on after being asked to stop.
  • Insulting or demeaning comments about a person or group.
  • Discrimination or stereotyping based on who someone is.
  • Unwanted sexual attention or content.
  • Sharing someone's private information, or a member's unpublished work, without permission.
  • Threatening or encouraging violence or harm.
  • Taking credit for someone else's work, or impersonating someone.

Reporting a problem

If something happens that breaks this code, or you are unsure whether it does, tell us. Email hello@jointhinkspark.com with "Conduct" in the subject line, or contact the lab lead directly. Not every disagreement is a breach, but we would rather hear about it.

Reports are handled privately by the lab lead. If your report involves the lab lead, you can contact any founding member directly instead. We will acknowledge your report within 5 working days and keep you informed.

How we respond

We focus on repairing harm wherever we can. Depending on what happened, we may:

  1. have a private conversation and give a written warning;
  2. limit someone's part in some lab activities for a set time;
  3. suspend someone from the lab for a set time, with clear conditions for coming back;
  4. remove someone from the lab permanently, for repeated or serious breaches.

Serious breaches may skip earlier steps.

Where this applies

This code applies in every lab space, online and in person, and whenever someone represents the lab, for example in peer review, at demo nights or when using a lab email address.

Attribution

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Contributor Covenant, version 3.0, permanently available at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/3/0/. Contributor Covenant is stewarded by the Organization for Ethical Source and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. This adapted version is also licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.