1. Introduction
Our community is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone. This Code of Conduct outlines standards of behaviour that all members, contributors and visitors are expected to follow, as well as the procedures for addressing issues. It applies to all community spaces - including proposals, conversations and topics and any other interactions related to the community. By joining or participating in our community, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct in full. These rules complement our Community Guidelines and provide more detailed expectations and consequences.
Our platform’s core value is equality. Every member enjoys the same rights, responsibilities and protections. Consistent with that value, we acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua and affirm our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi). We also recognise te ao Māori values such as manaakitanga (care and hospitality) and whanaungatanga (community connection), which strengthen respect for all cultures.
2. Scope
This code of conduct applies to all participants in the community, without exception. It covers all modes of interaction: public posts such as proposals, comment sections where they may appear, vote interactions and any situation where you represent or impact our community. The Code of Conduct extends outside our official platform(s) if an individual’s behaviour could adversely affect the safety and well-being of community members (for example, public harassment of a community member on social media). We expect the spirit of these rules to be followed in all contexts related to the community.
3. Expected Behaviour
We expect all community members to behave responsibly and with integrity. The following are examples of positive behaviours that help foster a healthy community:
- Be respectful and courteous: Treat all fellow members with respect, kindness, and empathy. Communication should be civil, even when disagreements occur.
- Be inclusive and welcoming: Embrace diversity and inclusion. Make sure that no one is excluded or made to feel unwelcome based on who they are.
- Engage constructively: Participate in discussions in a helpful manner. Give and accept constructive criticism gracefully, focusing on improvement and solutions.
- Help others and contribute: Share your knowledge, answer questions, and help keep the community a useful resource.
- Take responsibility: If you make a mistake, own up to it and apologise if necessary. Learn from the experience. Demonstrating accountability sets a positive example for others.
- Uphold the community spirit: Keep conversations on topic and appropriate for the forum. We value empathy, respect, open-mindedness and integrity in all community interactions.
4. Responsible Proposal Submissions
When you create a Proposal, ensure that it: Targets a decision-maker that actually has authority over the change (e.g. your school, university, city council, or the New Zealand Government); and is realistically actionable by the decision-maker in scope, timeframe and cost.
Proposals must be written respectfully, must not duplicate existing Proposals, and must comply with all other parts of this Code (no personal attacks, private data, hate content etc.). Moderators may remove proposals that are clearly impossible, purely satirical, wholly off-topic, or duplicative. When we remove a proposal, we will give a brief reason and invite the author to resubmit a revised, viable version. Repeated misuse of the proposal feature (after warnings) may escalate to stronger enforcement measures.
5. Unacceptable Behaviour
Certain behaviours are considered unacceptable in our community. To maintain a safe and respectful environment, the following actions are prohibited:
- Harassment and bullying: Any form of harassment, intimidation or abuse is forbidden. This includes stalking, repeated unwanted contact, or personal attacks. Harassment can be verbal, non-verbal, or physical, and can include offensive comments, unwanted jokes, or gestures. Example: Continuously commenting on someones’ post after they asked you to stop is harassment.
- Hate speech and discrimination: Absolutely no hate speech, derogatory slurs, or discrimination will be tolerated. You may not attack or demean anyone on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, physical appearance, body size, caste or any other personal characteristic. This includes any use of stereotypes, epithets, or symbols meant to demean or incite hatred against a group of people. The prohibition also covers casual racism and cultural insensitivity, often called micro-aggressions. These may include mocking te reo Māori pronunciation, using cultural stereotypes as jokes or dismissing tikanga (customs) as irrelevant. These behaviours carry the same zero-tolerance stance as overt slurs; they will be removed, warnings will be issued and repeat or severe offences may lead directly to suspension or ban.
- Offensive or inappropriate content: Do not post or share content that is pornographic, sexually explicit, extremely violent, or otherwise generally deemed NSFW (not safe for work) in our community spaces. Also, avoid sharing gruesome or gore imagery. Our community should remain appropriate for a general audience. Sexual language, unwelcome sexual attention or advances are also considered harassment are not allowed.
- Misinformation and deliberate falsehoods: Do not knowingly share or promote false, misleading or unsubstantiated claims; especially on topics that influence community decisions or public understanding. This includes posting links to non-reputable sources, “fake news”, manipulated media, conspiracy theories, or unverified rumours as fact. If you share information that could be controversial or consequential, you may be asked by moderators to provide reputable sources. Posting misinformation may result in content removal, warnings or further enforcement actions.
- Threats of violence or incitement: Do not threaten or encourage violence or harm towards any individual or group. Even as jokes, threats are taken seriously. Similarly, do not encourage others to engage in violent, harmful or illegal behaviour.
- Illegal activities and illicit content: Do not engage in or promote any illegal activities within the community. This includes sharing instructions for committing illegal acts, trafficking in illegal substances, or posting content that involves fraud, hacking, piracy of software/music/movies, or any other unlawful behaviour. Example: Posting a link to download copyrighted software or asking how to obtain something illegally is not allowed.
- Personal data and privacy violations: Respect everyone’s privacy. Do not share personal or identifying information about someone else. This includes real names, addresses, workplaces, photographs, or any other private details. Additionally, doxxing (revealing someone’s personal information with malicious intent) is strictly prohibited. Example: It’s unacceptable to post someone’s address or private emails publicly.
- Publishing private communications: Do not publish or share content from private communications (such as direct messages, emails, or private chats) without the consent of all parties involved. People should feel safe that their private messages will remain private, unless there’s a serious policy violation to report (in which case, share it privately with moderators).
- Impersonation and misrepresentation: Do not impersonate other people or falsely claim official positions. Misleading others by pretending to be someone you’re not (another community member, a public figure, a staff member, etc.) undermines trust and is not allowed.
- Spam and irrelevant self-promotion: Unwanted repetitive content, advertisements, or promotions that have not been permitted by community rules fall under spam. It’s ok to share your own content or business only when genuinely relevant, and within reasonable limits. Continuously posting the same link or message, especially if off topic, is considered spam.
- Disruptive behaviour: This includes trolling (deliberately provoking others), derailment of discussions, excessive negativity, or any behaviour that consistently disrupts the flow of conversation. We welcome constructive criticism and differing opinions, but not deliberate disruption.
- Encouraging or enabling others to violate the Code of Conduct: If someone is engaging in harassing behaviour and you join in, you are also subject to consequences. Likewise, retaliation against someone who reports a concern or participates in an investigation is forbidden. We want people to feel safe speaking up about problems without fear of reprisal.
- Any other inappropriate conduct: Any behaviour that a reasonable person would consider inappropriate in a professional or community setting is not allowed. This Code of Conduct is not exhaustive; if something is clearly creating a hostile or uncomfortable environment, it will be addressed by the moderators even if it’s not explicitly listed here.
6. Enforcement
Our moderation team (admins and appointed moderators) is responsible for interpreting and enforcing this Code of Conduct. We take violations seriously. If you violate the rules, you can expect appropriate action from the moderators, which may include any of the following consequences:
- Friendly Warning or Reminder: For minor first-time offenses, a moderator may reach out privately to explain the issue and remind you of the rules. They’ll ask you to correct the behaviour. Example: If you unknowingly used an inappropriate joke in the wrong forum, you might get a gentle reminder.
- Official Warning: For more serious violations or repeated issues, you will receive a formal warning. This is an explicit notice that the behaviour is unacceptable and must stop immediately.
- Content Removal: Proposals, comments or any content that violates the Code of Conduct may be removed or edited by moderators. In cases of edits, the moderator will typically note that an edit was made for community rule compliance (when appropriate).
- Temporary Suspension: The moderators may suspend your participation privileges for a period of time. During a suspension, you may be unable to post or interact in the community. The length of the ban will depend on the severity of the violation and whether it’s a repeat offence.
- Permanent Ban: For very serious violations or repeat offences after warnings, a member may be permanently removed (banned) from the community. This is a last resort for egregious behaviour or when it’s clear that someone is unwilling to follow the Code of Conduct.
- Other Actions: The moderation team reserves the right to take any other appropriate actions necessary to maintain the safety and integrity of the community. This could include muting a user, restricting certain privileges, or contacting authorities if a situation involves unlawful threats or content that pose an imminent danger.
7. Moderation
Moderators consider impact over intent when assessing the severity of unacceptable behaviour, using these factors:
- Target and harm: Is anyone (especially a marginalised group) targeted or harmed?
- Safety and legality: Does it create a safety risk or involve illegal activity?
- Privacy: Does it expose private/personal data?
- Scope and Recurrence: Is it an isolated slip or a pattern over time?
- Context: Time, place and potential to influence community decisions.
A Minor Breach is a low impact, isolated breach that does not target a group, expose private data, or create safety risks. They may appear unintentional or careless. Repeated Minor Breaches (a pattern within a short time period) are treated as Major Breaches. Examples of a Minor Breach include: Off-topic or low-effort posts; One-off insensitive comments or a micro-aggression that stops after being called out by the community without slurs or targeting; Sharing questionable claims without checking sources with low risk to influence others; Trolling-adjacent behaviour (snark, derailment) that stops after a reminder; or Sharing of borderline NSFW content.
A Major Breach is behaviour that is targeted, harmful, unsafe, deceptive, illegal, privacy-violating or repeated, including any conduct that attacks protected characteristics, creates fear or risk, or shows refusal to comply after warnings. Examples of a Major Breach include: Slurs, dehumanising language, or explicit attacks on groups (e.g. race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, body size, caste, nationality); Sustained personal attacks, threats (even “as a joke”), or coordinated pile-ons; Sexual comments/advances, sexualised content directed at a person, or sharing explicit material; Doxxing, publishing private information without consent, or exposing identifying information; Knowingly spreading falsehoods or manipulated media, especially when high risk to affect community decisions; Incitement to violence or self-harm; Instructions for illegal activity, trafficking or fraud; Pretending to be staff/officials/other users; Misrepresenting affiliation; Severe or repeated micro-aggressions (e.g. persistent mocking of te reo Māori pronunciation or tikanga, especially if used to target/ostracise); Repeated derailment, brigading, ban-evasion, or continued Minor Breaches despite prior warnings.
Enforcement actions will generally be proportional to the violation. Our moderators will make a good-faith effort to be fair and consistent. Whenever possible, we will explain the reason for any moderation decision to the affected member (unless the situation calls for immediate action without discussion). However, arguing with or abusing the moderators as a result of enforcement will not be tolerated and may result in further action.
8. Reporting Issues
We strongly encourage members to report any behaviour or content that violates this Code of Conduct or makes you feel unsafe or unwelcome. If you experience harassment, hate speech, or any other misconduct, please do not hesitate to reach out to the moderation team at support@buzzyapp.co.nz.
You can directly alert a moderator or admin of problematic content directly through the tools available to you when you see the content on the app. You should see a Flag icon under additional options for any content, clicking this prompt will alert our moderator team. You can also send a private message to any of Buzzy’s social channels, or email us at support@buzzyapp.co.nz. Provide any relevant details so we can investigate promptly.
All reports will be handled as confidentially as possible. When you report an issue, your identity will be kept private to the extent feasible. We will not share your information with the person being reported, or with anyone beyond the moderation team, unless required by law. Our priority is to make sure reporters and witnesses feel safe from retaliation or further harassment.
Moderators will review each report objectively and take appropriate action based on the evidence and severity of the incident. You may not always be informed of the detailed outcome (due to privacy), but we will let you know when we’ve addressed the situation. Please remember that reporting something in good faith will never be held against you. We appreciate your help in keeping our community safe.
9. Appeals
If you have been moderated (warned, suspended or banned) and you believe the action was unjust or you have since addressed the issue, you may appeal to the admin team. To do so, contact us at support@buzzyapp.co.nz with an explanation. The admin team will review appeals on a case-by-case basis and determine if any adjustment is warranted. Please understand that not all decisions will be reversed, especially if the enforcement was clearly in line with the Code of Conduct, but we will listen and consider your perspective. During the appeal process, please refrain from evading bans or creating new accounts, as that will negatively impact the appeal.
10. Acknowledgment and Adaptation
This Code of Conduct is a living document. It may be updated over time to address new issues or clarify existing ones. By continuing to participate in the community, you agree to the latest version of this Code. We will do our best to inform members of major changes (for example, via announcement post). However, it’s ultimately your responsibility to stay up-to-date with the rules. We encourage you to periodically review these guidelines.
This Code of Conduct is inspired by the Contributor Covenant, an open source, MIT-licensed industry standard adopted by more than 300,000 software and community projects worldwide, and further informed by the Mozilla Community Participation Guidelines. These frameworks provide clear definitions of unacceptable behaviour, reporting channels and progressive enforcement. Our goal is to foster a community where everyone feels safe, respected and able to contribute.
Thank you for helping us maintain a positive community! By following this Code of Conduct, you’re contributing to a healthy, welcoming environment for all. We deeply appreciate every member who adheres to these standards and helps others do the same. If you have any questions about the Code of Conduct or Community Guidelines, please reach out to a moderator.
Let’s work together to keep this community friendly, inclusive, and enriching for everyone.
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