Code of Conduct

The South African Network Operators Group (ZANOG) is a rich community of network operators dedicated to exchanging technical information and experiences related to increasing the resilience of South African networks.

Our objectives

• To harness the knowledge and experiences of the community as a rich resource.
• To provide a robust platform of expertise necessary in building knowledge based economies in the South African region.
• To foster technical research in areas of networking and internet technologies that produces a dense culture of mastery of the subject matter.
• To leverage the technical community in the solving of technical problems arising within South African networks.

The ZANOG groups align with our core objectives and are designed to foster collaboration among persons actively engaged in specific projects that will encompass conducting comprehensive research activities, compiling reports, training others, and together using our influence to improve networks in the region. Relationship building, knowledge sharing and working together is encouraged and as South African professionals we will strike the balance between excellently managing professional and commercial issues, while still being warm South African people, and not stiff and formal.

The Code

• Be respectful to others in the group. Each group is intended to be a safe and productive space. Trolling, blatant dishonesty, hostility and discrimination won’t be tolerated. This behavior will result in your removal from the group.
• Respect the purpose and objective of the group. This channel shouldn’t be used to send messages or content of a personal nature or outside the scope of the group. If you need to speak to one or a subset of members of the group, it is better to use direct messages or other channels.
• Feel free to network, build relationships and new alliances. At the same time, please be inclusive and give back to the community. Use the opportunity provided by the group to empower as broad a base as possible.
• It’s OK to be opinionated. Sharing personal opinions is welcomed. But at the same time, be willing to listen to others’ opinions and don’t try to force others to agree with yours.
• When replying to a specific comment from a person, use the “Reply” function to avoid confusion regarding the context of your post.
• Before sending a video, picture, meme or any content, analyze if such material will be in the interest of the majority of the members of the group. Many persons are already in groups with family, classmates or coworkers where there is a continuous stream of content. Try not to duplicate the content that is already common in other contexts.
• Stay away from divisive issues. We don’t know what each person believes or what will cause offense. Therefore until you are clear that a particular matter will be received in good faith, don’t raise it. Avoid unnecessary debates.
• Never post any content that is violent, pornographic or discriminatory against others, even in jest. No coarse language will be tolerated. This behavior will result in your removal from the group.
• Never send content, information or “news” that hasn’t been verified. Placing content whose authenticity has not been proven can be very dangerous.
• Do not share any propaganda material on any groups.
• Keep clear of any political discussions.
• Be responsible with others’ phone numbers and contact information.
• The group is not for the marketing of products and services to a captive audience. It is expected that business opportunities will naturally arise and be explored, but those should be pursued outside this channel.
• If you notice that you’re having a dialogue with a single member of the group on a particular matter, consider moving the conversation to direct message, because others may not be interested in that particular thread.
• If you feel uncomfortable in the group for any reason, feel free to leave or “mute” the notifications.
• Before sending a complaint to the entire group, please speak directly with one of the administrators.