ROOTWIN Administrator Honor Code

On 6 December 2023 the ROOTWIN team introduced the Administrator Honor Code — a document laying out the basic behavior standards for everyone who moderates the project’s chats.

Why the code was needed

By the end of 2023 the ROOTCHAT administration team and related chats had grown significantly, and with that growth came more conflicts, disputed bans, and mutual complaints between admins. The code was an attempt to formalize unwritten agreements and give the community a clear reference for what moderator behavior should look like.

What the code covers

The document is built around eight principles:

• respect — correct communication and acknowledging the value of every opinion;
• honoring commitments — responsibility for both material and non-material obligations;
• do no harm — no physical or emotional harm to community members;
• truthfulness — a ban on spreading unverified or false information;
• originality and authorship — respect for other people’s work and intellectual property;
• mutual support — cooperation instead of acting against fellow admins;
• transparency and openness — willingness to explain decisions to the community;
• following the rules and continuous learning — sticking to procedures and developing your own skills.

Why it matters for the project

The code became one of ROOTWIN’s first steps toward formalizing internal community governance — not just a list of rules for users, but a behavior standard for the people enforcing those rules. The document was established as a foundation the team continued relying on when resolving conflicts within the admin team.