I think your approach was well-intentioned but flawed, much like Drmies'
initial post.
Unfortunately, your admonition came off like the stereotypical "that's so
sexist to comment on a woman's body" approach, which triggered defenses that
focused on the fact that it was just a joke, Drmies and LoS are friends, why
don't you people have a sense of humor?
If, instead, you'd acknowledged the humor (rather than just an attempt at
humor), acknowledged that LoS herself likely would not find it offensive,
nor that Drmies intended it as such. and then explained that your concern
was for other editors who might come across the comment and, not knowing the
relationships involved, tick Wikipedia down yet another mental notch in
"welcomingness".
Instead you came across as humorless and scolding, which rarely garners
productive responses.
Powers &8^]
-----Original Message-----
From: Katherine Casey [mailto:fluffernutter.wiki@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday 17 July 2013 14:24
To: Increasing female participation in Wikimedia projects
Subject: [Gendergap] Casual sexism on en.wp
Another day, another
<http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia%3AAdministrators%27_not
iceboard&diff=564679884&oldid=564678700> example of casual sexism exhibited
by en.wikipedia editors who mean absolutely no harm, but simply don't
understand how they could cause harm while meaning none. I seem
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Administrators%27_noticeboard#Anothe
r_admin_issue> to have caused significant alarm and offense to a number of
male editors be publicly pointing out that I found the comment
inappropriate.
Was there a better way to handle this? I can't help feeling that saying
nothing or hatting the section would have been supporting the notion that
it's either not a problem or not remarkable for male editors to make
comments encouraging others to comment on female editors' bodies.
-Fluff