May I suggest some comments don't need a response because (1) they are intended facetiously and/or (2) they are trolling. In either case, it's best to take the high ground and let them pass into oblivion, especially in highly charged discussions.
Carol On Dec 8, 2012, at 9:40 AM, Mita Williams wrote: > This is the framing that I resonate with as well. > > I really appreciate all the conversations as of late on code4lib and I find > that the poll on gender and community was incredibly illuminating. I'm > currently reading 'Unlocking the clubhouse' and there are large swaths > of relevant passages that apply that have to with the setting of model > behaviour in a field that might explain the high numbers who don't feel the > community that others do (An aside: when you are tempted to tell someone > else what to *feel* please re-consider). > > One aspect of community is the sense of shared experience. If you are a > librarian, you don't have to explain the work that you do at in the same > way you have to do when you among non-librarians. That's part of the joy of > a community. In code4lib you can joke about text editors or what have you, > knowing most folks will get and maybe even laugh at the joke. Again, I want > to say that I appreciate the efforts of those who are taking the time to > explain where women's experiences are not so shared with men. I've seen > what I think is genuine reflection and re-thinking and that gladdens the > heart. That being said, comments like this > http://serials.infomotions.com/code4lib/archive/2012/201212/3988.htm<http://serials.infomotions.com/code4lib/archive/2012/201212/3988.html>l > feel > like trolling to me and the lack of response to such comments leaves me > disappointed. Having to constantly explains one's self doesn't lend to a > sense of community. > > All that being said, I would hate the code4lib community to lose momentum > on the matter of the anti-harassment policy. Sadly, it is much needed. > > M > > On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 6:17 PM, Bess Sadler <bess.sad...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> On Dec 7, 2012, at 12:59 PM, Joshua Gomez <jngo...@gwu.edu> wrote: >> >>> Others have mentioned they fear that a subgroup will only decrease the >>> diversity within code4lib by pulling women away from it and into the new >>> group. This was my initial concern as well, but when I look at other >> kinds >>> of women in tech groups I realize that they don't decrease women's >>> participation in mainstream groups. In fact they help boost women's >>> profiles and skill sets, thus increasing their likelihood of >> participating >>> in mainstream groups. >> >> Well said, Joshua. Any separate women in technology groups I've been >> involved with (e.g., devchix, grrlswithmodems back in the day) have been >> what you describe here. These groups are supplementary, and create a place >> to get support if one needs help navigating mainstream (and yes, >> male-dominated) communities. >> >> Bess >>
