Simple ways that everyone can be more inclusive in computer vision

There are a lot of new people, places, and problems faced by the vision community. Many are drawn to the already famous people and institutions and mainstream topics, but let’s make a special effort to welcome those who are new or trying to make an impact in a new area. Below are a few simple ways to be more inclusive that I will keep in mind when attending conferences.

1. Be respectful. Remember that someone has put a lot of time and energy into their work because they find the problem important. Reviewers and area chairs found the research worth accepting in the conference, so assume that the value is there, even if you can’t understand it yet.
2. Talk to someone standing by themselves by a poster. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the number of papers and only attend to those that already have a following. This can leave someone standing alone who has managed to make a significant contribution from a place that doesn’t send many people to the top vision conferences. Talk to authors that are not yet well known or from less prestigious institutions. For instance open with, “I may not know enough about the problem to appreciate the details, but could you please tell me what you’ve discovered and why it is important to you?”
3. Likewise (once in-person conferences resume), find opportunities to chat to those around you, especially those not already moving in herds. Every conference has many first-time authors and even more first-time attendees. Talk to those around you and find out what their interests are, and if it is someone new to the community, let them know that you are glad they are here.
4. Be open to new areas of research, particularly those that examine the application and impact of computer vision. For a long time, computer vision research made almost no impact on society. Now it has, but the consequences can be alarming. We need people who think critically about how computer vision interacts with other areas of research, as well as how it can impact society as a whole. It’s no longer just a fun problem.

For virtual conferences, most of these still apply. For example, take a chance on some Q&A sessions for papers from lesser known people and places.

I’m interested to hear other simple ways that everyone can improve inclusivity. Please post as comments.