Terms & Conditions

TechTank, TechTank TO, or www.techtankto.com is a volunteer-run tech community based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and will be referred to as TechTank below. All participants within TechTank and attendees at TechTank events (virtual or in-person) agree to the following terms and conditions.

Media Waiver

  1. By participating with TechTank and/or attending TechTank’s events the participant or attendee hereby grants TechTank and its representatives the right to take photographs, videos, and other media of them. The participant or attendee authorizes TechTank to use and publish the same in print and/or electronically. The participant or attendee agrees that TechTank may use such media of them for any lawful purpose, including but not limited to publicity, illustration, advertising, social media and web content.

  2. The participant or attendee releases TechTank, its volunteers, and all persons acting under its permission or authority, from any liability related to the use of such media. The participant or attendee acknowledge that they will not receive any compensation for the use of such media, and waive any right to inspect or approve the finished product wherein their likeness appears.

General

  1. All community members, participants, guests or attendees agree to be bound by the TechTank code of conduct located on this page.

  2. TechTank, at its discretion, reserves the right to ban any community members, participants, guests or attendees from interacting within the TechTank community or attending future events. In such cases, TechTank does not have a responsibility to disclose the reason for the ban.

Donations

  1. Donations help TechTank cover general operating costs and costs related to hosting and running events. All donations made toward TechTank will hereby be bound by the following terms and conditions.

  2. All donations made towards TechTank will be used at the discretion of the administrators of TechTank within stated objectives.

  3. All donors understand and agree that donations do not entail a transactional exchange with TechTank. Donors cannot expect a service from TechTank in return for a donation and any such stipulation is hereby invalid.

  4. Donors do not receive special privileges or services and are also bound by the TechTank code of conduct located at www.techtankto.com/code-of-conduct. All enforcement of the code of conduct such as but not limited to temporary bans, permanent bans or other enforcement actions are still applicable and not grounds for a refund of a donation in any instance.

  5. Donations made to TechTank are non-refundable. Please contact the administrators at techtankto@gmail.com if you have additional questions or concerns.

  6. Official donation methods are using one of the methods listed. Donations made through means not listed are not endorsed or supported by TechTank:

    Interac E-transfer: Using the email techtankto@gmail.com

    Stripe: Using the link www.techtankto.com/donate

  7. Personally identifiable information may be collected for donations for the purposes of accounting and identifying transactions:

    Interac E-transfer: Information collected via the Interac E-transfer payment method is securely stored within the financial institutions sending and receiving the donation. No information is stored externally by TechTank.

    Stripe: Information collected via the Stripe payment method is securely stored within Stripe. No information is stored externally by TechTank.

  8. TechTank reserves the right to amend the Donation Terms & Conditions at any time.

All terms and conditions are governed by the laws of Ontario, Canada and are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of courts within Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Code of Conduct:

We, the admin team at TechTank, are happy to have grown to such a large group in such a short amount of time. As we value the participation and enjoyment of everyone in our community, we have decided to release community guidelines/codes of conduct. Our goal and wish is that everyone has a positive experience, and these codes apply to ALL community spaces: our slack workspace, in-person and virtual social gatherings, and direct messages. Repeated unacceptable behaviour will lead to expulsion from the group as we are here to create a safe and inclusive space for everyone.

Enforcement:

TechTank is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community. To maintain this environment, we reserve the right to take corrective action, up to and including a permanent ban, against any participant or attendee who engages in abuse, harassment, or any other unacceptable behavior. This includes behaviors deemed inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful. The determination of what constitutes unacceptable behavior, as well as the specific corrective action taken, is at the sole discretion of TechTank administrators and will not necessarily be disclosed.

Instances of unacceptable behavior should be reported to Chris, Nonso, Neal, Niya, Riaz, and Sammy. Upon investigation, TechTank will take corrective action as deemed necessary. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • Private Communication: Contacting the individual to address and correct the behavior.

  • Temporary Ban: Suspension from all community interactions (spaces, channels, direct messages, etc.) for a designated period.

  • Permanent Ban: Complete removal from the TechTank community and a prohibition from attending future events.

Unacceptable Behaviour:

  1. No hate speech or discriminatory language: Do not engage in or tolerate any form of hate speech, including but not limited to racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, or ableist language.

  2. No discrimination: Treat all individuals with fairness, respect, and dignity, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, disability, or any other characteristic.

  3. No harassment: Do not engage in any form of harassment, including verbal, written, physical, or visual harassment. This includes but is not limited to offensive jokes, derogatory comments, unwelcome advances, or persistent unwelcome communication. This includes asking for referrals from people you have not had contact with prior.

  4. No bullying or intimidation: Do not engage in any behaviour intended to intimidate, belittle, or demean others within the group.

  5. No feigning surprise: Don't act surprised or belittle others when they express not knowing something, whether it's a technical or non-technical topic.

  6. No well-actually's: Avoid making minor corrections solely for the purpose of grandstanding, particularly if they don't significantly contribute to the conversation.

  7. No back-seat driving (in irl, face-to-face contexts): Refrain from intermittently offering unsolicited advice or interrupting ongoing conversations, as it can be disruptive and disrespectful. Instead, fully engage and participate when helping or joining discussions.

  8. Respect other people’s boundaries. No means no.

  9. Respect other people’s time. Many folx in the group, including the admins, have personal and professional lives outside of the group. Expect delays in responses especially on weekends and weeknights, and understand it might take time to respond to your query. (N.B.: If you have a general question that you think might benefit others in the group, always consider posting in an appropriate channel before sending a DM to an admin.)

  10. Any other behaviour deemed inappropriate by the TechTank admins.

  • Taken from Toronto Javascript

Examples of Unaccepted Behaviours:

  • Unsolicited sexual advances

  • Trolling, insulting, derogatory comments

  • Public or private harassment

  • Leaking private information such as email address or physical address

  • Any conduct you would not do in a professional setting

Acceptable Behaviours

  1. Fostering empathy and kindness. Treating others the way you would want to be treated.

  2. Respecting each other’s differing opinions, viewpoints and experiences

  3. Giving constructive feedback

  4. Focusing on what is not best for us as individuals, but for the overall community

  5. Fostering empathy and kindness. Treating others the way you would want to be treated.

  6. Most importantly, having fun and creating a safe community

Referral Policy:

Recognizing the importance of referrals in professional networking, our administrative team has identified the need for explicit guidelines to foster beneficial interactions and maintain the integrity of our organization.

  1. Referral Request Prudence: Members should refrain from requesting referrals during their initial interaction with an individual. It's essential to remember that successful referrals depend on a relationship of trust and mutual understanding, which requires more than a single interaction to establish.

  2. Respect for Professional Reputation: We must acknowledge that when someone provides a referral, they are staking their professional reputation on the line. Consequently, requesting a referral should not be a casual inquiry but a mindful consideration of the potential implications for the referring party.

By adhering to these guidelines, we can maintain a respectful, professional environment that fosters genuine networking and promotes sustainable growth for all members.