Supplier Code of Conduct

Supplier Standards and Expectations

This Supplier Code of Conduct explains the basic standards expected from suppliers, service providers, platforms, contractors, software vendors, and other third parties connected with IT SUCKS!. It covers lawful conduct, privacy, security, fair dealing, labor standards, anti-corruption expectations, freedom of expression, and supplier-related concerns. The policy also explains how IT SUCKS! may respond if a supplier behaves badly, creates unnecessary risk, or becomes too annoying to tolerate.

I. Purpose

This Supplier Code of Conduct explains the basic standards expected from suppliers, service providers, platforms, contractors, software vendors, hosting providers, payment providers, technology partners, and other third parties connected with IT SUCKS!

IT SUCKS! is not a giant corporation with factories, warehouses, procurement departments, or a suspicious number of consultants using the word “synergy.”

Still, even a small independent website depends on other people, companies, tools, platforms, services, software, infrastructure, caffeine, electricity, and the internet not completely collapsing.

This policy sets out the basic expectation: do not be shady, abusive, exploitative, dishonest, dangerous, or needlessly useless.

II. Scope

This Supplier Code of Conduct may apply to third parties involved in:

  • website hosting;
  • domain registration;
  • email services;
  • security tools;
  • analytics or technical services;
  • software, plugins, themes, and digital tools;
  • payment or donation platforms;
  • content, design, editing, or technical support;
  • legal, administrative, or professional services;
  • any other service used to operate, maintain, support, or improve IT SUCKS!

Some suppliers may never read this document. That is not surprising. Most suppliers barely read their own support tickets.

III. Basic Conduct

Suppliers are expected to act in a reasonable, lawful, honest, and professional way.

This includes:

  • providing services as described;
  • not misleading customers;
  • not hiding important fees, limits, restrictions, or risks;
  • respecting applicable laws;
  • respecting basic privacy and security standards;
  • communicating important changes clearly;
  • not creating unnecessary technical chaos;
  • not behaving like a faceless corporate dungeon with a chatbot at the gate.

IT SUCKS! understands that mistakes happen. The problem is not every mistake. The problem is pretending the mistake is a feature, blaming the customer, or burying the answer in 900 pages of documentation written by a bored lawyer.

IV. Human Rights and Labor Standards

Suppliers should not use forced labor, child labor, exploitative labor, unsafe working conditions, abusive management, or other practices that turn ordinary business into human misery.

IT SUCKS! does not run factories, warehouses, mines, sweatshops, delivery fleets, or any other empire of suffering.

Still, where suppliers are involved, the expectation is simple: people should not be treated like disposable parts in a machine.

V. Modern Slavery and Exploitation

Suppliers should not knowingly participate in modern slavery, human trafficking, forced work, debt bondage, coercion, or similar exploitation.

IT SUCKS! expects suppliers to operate legally and responsibly.

If a supplier is somehow connected with modern slavery or serious exploitation, that supplier can kindly take its business relationship, put it in a cardboard box, and walk away.

VI. Privacy and Data Protection

Suppliers that handle website data, user data, email data, payment data, security logs, or technical information should handle it responsibly.

They should not:

  • misuse personal data;
  • sell data in shady ways;
  • expose data through careless security;
  • collect more data than necessary;
  • pretend surveillance is “improving the user experience”;
  • hide important privacy practices behind vague corporate fog.

IT SUCKS! prefers tools and services that are simple, clear, secure, and not creepier than necessary.

VII. Security and Technical Reliability

Suppliers should take reasonable steps to keep their services secure, stable, and functional.

This includes:

  • protecting systems against unauthorized access;
  • fixing serious security problems;
  • communicating important outages or incidents;
  • avoiding reckless technical changes;
  • providing useful support when things break;
  • not turning basic troubleshooting into a spiritual test.

IT SUCKS! accepts that technology fails. It does not accept lazy excuses, endless status-page poetry, or support replies that clearly did not read the question.

VIII. Transparency and Fair Dealing

Suppliers should be clear about pricing, renewals, limitations, contract terms, cancellation rules, service restrictions, and material changes.

Hidden fees, dark patterns, confusing cancellation flows, fake discounts, forced upgrades, and “surprise, the price tripled” behavior are strongly disliked.

In plain English: sell the thing honestly. Do not make people feel like they need a law degree and emotional support just to cancel a subscription.

IX. Anti-Bribery and Corruption

Suppliers should not offer or request bribes, kickbacks, secret payments, fake commissions, improper favors, or anything else that smells like corruption wearing a nice suit.

IT SUCKS! does not accept bribes to praise nonsense, ignore stupidity, hide criticism, or pretend that something does not suck.

If something sucks, a gift basket will not magically repair it.

X. Conflicts of Interest

Suppliers should be honest about conflicts of interest where they are relevant.

IT SUCKS! may criticize companies, platforms, tools, public figures, services, or industries. If a supplier relationship could affect how something is discussed, Milan may choose to disclose it, avoid the topic, or handle it in another reasonable way.

The aim is not fake purity. The aim is basic honesty.

XI. Environmental Expectations

Suppliers are encouraged to avoid unnecessary waste, reckless energy use, pointless packaging, and performative environmental nonsense that looks good in a PDF but changes nothing.

IT SUCKS! is a digital website. It does not ship plastic junk around the world.

Still, suppliers should avoid being ridiculous where better options exist.

XII. Freedom of Expression

Because IT SUCKS! is an opinion and commentary website, suppliers should understand that the website may publish criticism, sarcasm, satire, rude words, and public commentary.

A supplier should not try to pressure IT SUCKS! into removing lawful criticism simply because it is uncomfortable, embarrassing, inconvenient, or bad for someone’s polished marketing department.

Service providers may enforce their own lawful terms. That is normal.

But vague pressure, censorship games, or “please delete this because it makes someone look bad” nonsense may be treated as part of the problem.

XIII. Reporting Concerns

Concerns about supplier behavior may be sent to hey@itsucks.fyi

A concern should include:

  • the supplier or service involved;
  • what happened;
  • when it happened;
  • why it matters;
  • any evidence, screenshots, links, invoices, emails, or other useful material.

Vague drama without evidence is not very useful. Evidence is sexy. Corporate fog is not.

XIV. No Promise of Investigation

IT SUCKS! may review supplier-related concerns, but it is not required to investigate every complaint, dispute, rumor, bad review, support ticket, or dramatic customer meltdown.

Milan may decide to:

  • ignore the issue;
  • ask for more evidence;
  • contact the supplier;
  • stop using the supplier;
  • publish criticism;
  • update a policy;
  • do nothing because life is short and admin work sucks.

XV. Consequences

If a supplier behaves badly, IT SUCKS! may take reasonable action, including:

  • raising the issue;
  • requesting clarification;
  • reducing use of the service;
  • ending the relationship;
  • choosing another supplier;
  • publishing criticism where appropriate;
  • quietly walking away because not every problem deserves a circus.

The response depends on the seriousness of the issue, available alternatives, evidence, risk, cost, and how much nonsense Milan is willing to tolerate that week.

XVI. Changes to This Code

This Supplier Code of Conduct may be updated from time to time.

The latest version published on www.ItSucks.fyi applies from the moment it is posted.