Code of Conduct

Alpacora is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive, and harassment-free environment for everyone in the knitting and crochet community. We expect pattern designers, makers, team members, and other participants to uphold these standards and help create a positive experience for all.

We expect everyone using Alpacora to:

• Be respectful: treat people with respect and courtesy, regardless of experience, background, or identity.
• Be professional: communicate clearly and considerately.
• Be constructive: provide useful feedback that supports learning and a better pattern.
• Be collaborative: work together in good faith to make testing projects successful.
• Be honest: communicate truthfully about availability, timelines, progress, and problems.
• Be inclusive: welcome and support people of different backgrounds and skill levels.
• Respect confidentiality: protect unpublished patterns and private project information.
• Give credit: acknowledge other people’s work and contributions appropriately.

The following behaviour is not tolerated on Alpacora:

• Harassment, including offensive comments, unwelcome sexual attention, stalking, or intimidation.
• Discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or another protected characteristic.
• Bullying or a sustained pattern of behaviour intended to harm, intimidate, humiliate, or demean another person.
• Hate speech, slurs, or derogatory language targeting a person or group.
• Threats of violence or harm.
• Publishing or threatening to publish another person’s private information without permission.
• Spam, scams, unsolicited advertising, or repetitive promotional messages.
• Impersonating another person or organisation, or deliberately misrepresenting your identity.
• Sharing, copying, selling, or distributing patterns or other work without permission.
• Deliberately undermining a testing project, repeatedly abandoning commitments without communication, or knowingly providing false information.

Pattern designers should:

• Provide clear project descriptions, requirements, and access to the material needed for the test.
• Set realistic timelines and expectations.
• Respond to maker questions and concerns within a reasonable time.
• Explain how makers will be credited and honour that commitment.
• Handle disagreements professionally and respectfully.
• Not exploit makers or demand work beyond the agreed test.
• Respect makers’ time, safety, privacy, and contributions.

Pattern makers and testers should:

• Apply only for projects they can realistically complete.
• Communicate early about progress, delays, blockers, or the need to leave a test.
• Provide thorough, constructive, and honest feedback.
• Respect pattern confidentiality and intellectual property.
• Complete accepted commitments or communicate promptly if that is no longer possible.
• Follow reasonable project guidelines and requirements.
• Be honest about skill level, measurements, progress, and availability.

Constructive feedback is central to pattern testing. When giving or receiving feedback:

• Focus on the pattern, project, or action rather than attacking the person.
• Be specific and actionable.
• Be candid without being cruel or dismissive.
• Ask questions and seek context before assuming bad intent.
• Consider feedback thoughtfully while respecting reasonable personal boundaries.

If a disagreement arises:

• Where it feels safe and appropriate, try to resolve it through respectful direct communication.
• Seek to understand the other person’s perspective and the agreed project expectations.
• Keep relevant messages or screenshots if the issue may need to be reported.
• Contact Alpacora if direct contact is unsafe, inappropriate, or has not resolved the issue.
• If anyone is in immediate danger, contact the appropriate local emergency service.

To report behaviour that may breach this Code:

• Email the Alpacora conduct address shown below.
• Include relevant dates, account or project details, screenshots, and a clear description where possible.
• We will limit report information to the people who reasonably need it, but we cannot promise absolute confidentiality or a particular outcome.
• Retaliation against someone for making a good-faith report or helping with a review is itself a breach of this Code.

support@alpacora.com

Depending on the seriousness, context, evidence, and impact of a breach, action may include:

• Guidance or a private written warning.
• Removal of content or restriction of a feature.
• Temporary suspension of Platform access.
• Permanent removal from Alpacora for severe or repeated breaches.
• Referral to a service provider, safeguarding organisation, or law-enforcement authority where reasonably necessary or legally required.

We may take immediate protective action while reviewing a serious concern. Decisions will be based on the information reasonably available to us.

If you believe an enforcement decision was made in error, you may appeal within 14 days. Include your account details, the action being appealed, why you believe it was incorrect, and any supporting information. Send appeals to:

support@alpacora.com

We may update this Code as the community and Platform develop. We will publish revisions here and update the date above. Material changes will be communicated to account holders where reasonably practical.

Questions or reports about this Code can be sent to:

support@alpacora.com