Build things. Be decent. Don't cause harm.

bits&bytes™ is a youth-led builder network for students, developers, designers, and creators who want to ship real things. It is run by GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION, a non-profit company incorporated under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013.

This Code of Conduct exists because a community is only as good as its standards. It protects participants, organisers, mentors, and the Foundation itself. It is not a formality — it is a binding condition of participation in any bits&bytes space, event, or programme.

This Code applies to every person in any capacity — participant, contributor, Fork Lead, volunteer, mentor, sponsor, speaker, or guest — who:

• Attends any bits&bytes event, hackathon, workshop, cohort, or meetup (in person or virtual)
• Participates in any bits&bytes online space — Discord, WhatsApp, Slack, GitHub, or any official platform
• Contributes to any bits&bytes project, repository, or programme
• Represents bits&bytes or GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION in any public, institutional, or media context
• Interacts with the community under the bits&bytes name or brand in any form
• Plays on the bits&bytes Minecraft server (mc.gobitsnbytes.org)
• Holds or uses SparkCloud credits issued through the bits&bytes SparkCloud programme

This Code applies regardless of the participant's age, role, seniority, founding status, or prior contribution to the community.

3.1 What We Expect

Everyone in this community is expected to:

Be welcoming. Make new people feel like they belong — not like they walked into the wrong room.

Be patient. People learn at different speeds and communicate differently. Assume good intent first.

Disagree respectfully. Challenge ideas, not people. Criticism should be constructive, not personal. The goal is to build better — not to win.

Take responsibility. If you make a mistake, own it, fix it, and move on. No defensiveness needed.

Protect the community. If you see something wrong, say something. Silence is not neutrality.

3.2 What We Do Not Allow

The following conduct is prohibited in all bits&bytes spaces and activities, without exception:

Harassment Any unwanted conduct that creates a hostile, intimidating, or degrading environment — including repeated unwanted contact, offensive comments, personal attacks, or behaviour intended to make someone feel unsafe or excluded.

Discrimination Treating any person less favourably on the basis of age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, caste, religion, nationality, socioeconomic background, or any other protected characteristic.

Sexual Misconduct Unwanted romantic or sexual advances, comments, or contact of any kind. This applies online and offline, and regardless of the target's age. Conduct involving minors in any sexual or inappropriate context will be treated as a serious violation and may be referred to statutory authorities.

Bullying and Intimidation Deliberate targeting of an individual or group to cause distress, social isolation, reputational harm, or emotional damage — including in private messages, group chats, and public forums.

Doxxing and Privacy Violations Publishing, sharing, or threatening to share another person's private information — including address, phone number, identity documents, financial details, or private communications — without their explicit consent.

Misuse of the bits&bytes Brand or Resources Using the bits&bytes name, logo, platforms, or community relationships for personal commercial gain, unauthorised fundraising, or any purpose not aligned with the Foundation's mission.

Fraud and Financial Misconduct Misrepresenting your identity or authority, collecting money on behalf of bits&bytes without written authorisation, or misusing community funds or resources in any form.

Disruption Spam, trolling, sustained off-topic derailment, or any conduct designed to obstruct productive community activity.

Retaliation Taking any adverse action against a person who has raised a concern, made a report, or supported another participant in good faith. Retaliation is itself a serious violation.

4.1 How to Report

If you experience or witness a violation of this Code, report it. Do not assume someone else has.

Email hello@gobitsnbytes.org or contact any team member directly.

When reporting, include as much context as you can — what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Screenshots or records help. If you are unsure whether something is a violation, report it anyway and let us assess.

4.2 Confidentiality

All reports are handled with confidentiality. Your identity as a reporter will not be disclosed without your consent, except where disclosure is required by law or necessary to prevent ongoing harm.

4.3 No Retaliation

No person who makes a good-faith report or supports another participant through a reporting process will face any adverse consequence from GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION. Any retaliation against a reporter is itself a Code violation subject to immediate enforcement action.

5.1 Who Decides

GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION, acting through its Board of Directors and authorised Executive Officers, has final authority over all enforcement decisions. Enforcement is not a vote or a community poll — it is a governance function of the Foundation.

5.2 Graduated Response

Violations are assessed on the basis of severity, context, intent, impact, and history. The general approach is:

First Violation — Formal written warning. Depending on severity, may include a mandatory apology or a temporary restriction from specific spaces.

Second Violation — Temporary suspension from all bits&bytes events, platforms, and community spaces for a defined period determined by the Foundation.

Third Violation or Serious First Violation — Permanent removal from the bits&bytes community, revocation of all access, roles, and recognition.

5.3 Immediate Action

5.4 External Referral

Where a violation may constitute a criminal offence under applicable Indian law — including the Indian Penal Code, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), Information Technology Act, or any other applicable statute — GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION reserves the right to refer the matter to relevant statutory authorities.

5.5 No Vested Rights

No person has a vested right to continued participation in the bits&bytes community by reason of founding involvement, prior contribution, seniority, or public standing. Participation is a privilege subject to this Code.

bits&bytes™ is a youth-led community and many of its participants are minors. GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION applies heightened standards wherever minors are involved:

• Any adult engaging in inappropriate contact, communication, or conduct toward a minor will be permanently removed and the matter referred to statutory authorities.
• Organisers of events or online spaces involving minors must ensure appropriate supervision, consent procedures, and safe communication practices are in place.
• Recording, photographing, or sharing images or data of minors requires verified parental or guardian consent.
• The provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) apply to all activities of the Foundation involving minors.

GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION collects and processes participant data (including names, contact details, event registrations, and minor consent records) in connection with its programmes. All such data is handled in accordance with applicable Indian data protection law, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act).

Do not expose personal data in public channels, screenshots, slides, repos, or demos.

Participants have the right to access, correct, and request deletion of their personal data by writing to hello@gobitsnbytes.org.

This Code operates alongside the Internal Operating Manual and Network Governance Charter of GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION. In case of conflict, the Internal Operating Manual and Network Governance Charter take precedence. This Code may be amended by the Board of Directors of GOBITSNBYTES FOUNDATION by way of Board Resolution.

By participating in any bits&bytes event, platform, programme, or activity, every participant agrees to be bound by this Code. This Code is a condition of participation — not a request.

The following rules apply in addition to the general standards above. A violation of any platform rule is a violation of this Code and subject to the same enforcement.

10.1 Minecraft Server (mc.gobitsnbytes.org)

The bits&bytes Minecraft server is a free, student-run survival server. It is a community space and the same standards of respect and decency apply in-game as everywhere else.

Prohibited on the server:

• Griefing — Deliberately destroying, defacing, stealing from, or sabotaging another player's builds or belongings. CoreProtect logs every block change. Grief will be rolled back and the player actioned.
• Cheating and hacking — Use of hacked clients, X-ray texture packs, duplication exploits, fly hacks, auto-clickers, or any client modification that provides an unfair advantage. This results in an immediate permanent ban.
• In-game harassment — Chat harassment, repeated targeting of another player's base or character, kill-farming, spawn-camping, or any conduct intended to make another player feel unwelcome or to drive them off the server.
• Advertising other servers — Posting or messaging IP addresses or names of other Minecraft servers in chat, Discord bridge, or signs.
• Impersonation — Using a username or skin designed to impersonate another player, bits&bytes team member, or real person.
• In-game scamming — Deceptive trades, fake giveaways, false promises of items, or any conduct designed to defraud another player of in-game resources.
• Lag machines and server abuse — Building or running any contraption, entity farm, or redstone circuit intended to degrade server performance.
• Bypassing bans — Connecting to the server on an alternate account after a ban. The alternate account will be banned and the original ban period may be extended.

Minecraft bans are reported to the bits&bytes moderation team and logged. Appeals go to hello@gobitsnbytes.org.

10.2 SparkCloud Credits Programme

SparkCloud provides free cloud compute credits to bits&bytes members for legitimate personal and educational projects. The credits are sponsored and limited — they must be used responsibly.

Prohibited uses of SparkCloud credits:

• Cryptocurrency mining — Using credits to mine, stake, or generate any cryptocurrency or token. This results in immediate revocation and a permanent ban from the programme.
• Commercial workloads — Running revenue-generating services, client projects, or any commercial workload on SparkCloud infrastructure.
• Prohibited content — Hosting, storing, or distributing illegal content, malware, spam infrastructure, pirated software, or content that violates any applicable law.
• Credential sharing — Sharing your SparkCloud access credentials or delegating access to individuals who have not been approved through the programme.
• False applications — Misrepresenting your project, affiliation, or identity in a SparkCloud application. Credit obtained through false statements will be revoked and the applicant may be banned from future programme cycles.
• Reselling access — Subletting, selling, or otherwise transferring SparkCloud credits or access to third parties.
• Exceeding approved scope — Using credits for workloads materially different from what was described in the application, without prior written approval from the team.

Misuse of SparkCloud credits may result in immediate suspension of access, recoupment of costs incurred, and referral for further action under this Code.