This is a test post entitled “Test Post”.

In the last couple of days, I’ve been “listening” on twitter to the #CoCPledge discussion. It boils down to: “If you don’t have a code of conduct for your Conference then I will not speak/attend.”

This initiative was started by Ashe Dryden “nearly a year and a half ago” but for some reason it has flared up on my feed just recently.

The idea is to stop cases of sex, race and other types of discrimination or harassment.

Seems like a no-brainer and it baffles me that some conference organizers don’t support it.

Arguing that “there are laws already” that prevent this kind of behaviors seem to make sense, but just look past your nose for a bit: laws have not prevented people from breaking them.

Having a code of conduct puts this kind of people on notice and leaves the threat - of losing their money or even their jobs - hovering over them. But it also tells those at the other end of the stick - the harassed - that they should feel safe coming to your conference because they will be protected.

The idea of a code of conduct is not new

Commercial establishments still to this day “Reserve the right to refuse admission” which, granted, threads dangerously close to discrimination; a code of conduct that describes clearly what is unacceptable behavior and its consequences doesn’t need to be discriminating.

Another place where we’ve seen code of conducts? Online communities and forums. Nobody complains about those because they give the owners the tools to maintain a healthy community. If you want your conference to be one where attendees want to come back the next year then you’d be well served by having one too.

A code of conduct will not stop harassment from happening, but it will give the organizers the framework and tools to react to those events and resolve the issues.

I profoundly agree with this initiative and will look for the code of conduct before signing up.

When Apple was confronted with the antenna-gate situation back in 2010 everybody was amused by Steve Job’s response :

Just avoid holding it that way.

Steve’s response was eventually turned into a catchphrase: “You’re holding it wrong”. But Apple eventually fixed the problem and moved on.

Similar to Apple, Lululemon also had its stint with public outcry because of too-sheer yoga pants back in March. And today Lululemon’s founder took that same page from Steve’s book:

Quite frankly, some women’s bodies just actually don’t work

Or in catchphrase mode: “You’re wearing it wrong”

Lululemon has always struck me very similar to Apple in the sense that they provide above market quality at premium prices. But this answer makes me doubt that assessment, specially considering the report that the issue was because of too lax quality standards :

Fabric is the key factor and while the fabric involved may have met testing standards, it was on the low end of lululemon’s tolerance scale

Which is the great difference between Apple and Lulu, one prides on the ever raising standards of production and finish , the other one seems to be starting the race to the bottom by lowering the quality.

Don’t get me wrong, Lululemon’s still better that many of the other yoga/sports wear company’s but that small difference in their culture will make the difference in the long run.

This of course applies to anyone trying to sell anything.