Clear Language Applies To Us Too
One of our Ambassadors raised a fair challenge about our own wording. We ask supporters to “add the badge to your profile”, and they pointed out that this phrase does not really tell you what to do.
They are right. On most social media platforms there is no button anywhere that says “add a badge”. Depending on how you read it, the instruction could mean replacing your profile picture, adding something to your header image, putting a line in your bio, or something else entirely. If you were to take the phrase literally, the only thing it can mean on most platforms is swapping out your profile picture, and that is a much bigger ask than we intended.
We talk a lot about clear language on this site. It is one of the things the Glossary of Terms exists to encourage. So when a piece of our own copy turns out to be vague, the right response is to say thank you and fix it.
What The Badge Is For
The badge is simply a way of saying, publicly, that you support the campaign and that you have made the pledge. It is a signal to other people, particularly people who have had a bad time in this industry, that you are someone who has thought about how they treat others.
That signal works in a lot of places. It does not have to be your profile picture, and for most people it should not be.
Where You Can Use It
Here are the specific places the badge works well, in plain language.
In your email signature. Add the badge image underneath your name and job title, with a link back to cyberkindness.org.uk. This is the option we would suggest first for most people. It reaches everyone you correspond with and it costs you nothing.
On your LinkedIn banner. The wide image behind your profile picture has plenty of room. Adding the badge there is visible without displacing anything.
In your slide decks. If you speak at events, run internal training or present to clients, the badge sits neatly on a title slide or closing slide.
On your website. A footer, an about page or a values page are all natural homes for it.
In a post. Share the badge alongside a few words about why you took the pledge. Honestly, this is often more powerful than a static image anywhere, because it comes with your reasons attached.
As your profile picture, if you want to. Some people do choose this, often for a set period such as a launch week or an awareness month. It is completely optional.
A Note On Profile Pictures
We want to be direct about this, because the Ambassador who raised the point was right to raise it.
Your profile picture is usually a photograph of you. For a lot of people that photograph is doing real work. It helps people recognise you at events. It makes you findable. For anyone who is under-represented in cyber security, being visibly present is not a small thing, and replacing your face with a logo is a genuine cost.
We are not asking you to do that. If you want to, you are very welcome, and we are glad to see it. But nobody should feel that supporting Cyber Kindness requires them to remove themselves from view. Use the badge somewhere that does not cost you anything you value.
The Files
The Cyber Kindness badges are available in .jpg and .png formats, and will be sent to you via email when you have taken the pledge. We have the following available:
- Square badge, suitable for email signatures and profile pictures
- Wide badge, suitable for LinkedIn banners and slide decks
- Transparent background version, for placing on your own colours
All versions are free to use, for as long as you are happy to stand behind what they represent.
Thank You
This change came directly from an Ambassador reading our site closely and telling us that a piece of it did not make sense. That is exactly the kind of feedback we want, and it is the campaign’s Challenge Ideas principle working the way it is supposed to.
If you find something else on this site that is unclear, ambiguous or asks more of you than we realise, tell us at hello@cyberkindness.org.uk. We would much rather hear it than not.
