On Monday 2023-11-06, there was an Open Source Club event at Newspeak House, starting at 7pm.

We shared a Google document to everyone participating (6-15 people) by speaking the url as well as by posting it at a WhatsApp group. Most people were appearing as Anonymous except for myself, as the owner of the document, and someone else I had invited through their email.

At some point around the 30 minute mark, I suggested we work in pairs, which some people followed. Shortly after, someone suggested that each person and pair may write their names and what they are working on in the shared document, which is what happened.

At 9:14 Person A asked to speak privately with me. Person A said someone (appearing as Anonymous) inserted an aubergine emoji character next to a specific pair's names (Person B and C), presumably as a sexual innuendo. According to Person A, Person B asked Person A whether it was them who added it or whether they know who did.

Many participants were asked about this but nobody knew anything about it. Eventually Person B and C left. It was after that point that Person A talked to me.

I messaged Person B (for whom it was the first time attending a Chaitin School event) later that night and told them I'm sorry this happened, that I will change the document to disallow anonymous participants, and that I will remind the Code of Conduct at the beginning of every event in the future. I also suggested the option of talking to third-parties.

We will also make sure there are paper copies of a summary of the information that exists on the website, including an abridged version of the Code of Conduct, at the beginning of each session.

Theodore Keloglou
zf@sirodoht.com

Published on Nov. 8, 2023, 5:07 p.m.