It has less to do with intimidation than having to endure negativity by choice. IMHO,
women r much more community focused and communicative. (no surprise women tend to be
active on social media) however I think a historical/societal context should also be
observed. No matter what part of the world, women are subject many times to varies times
of violence/bullying/ aggression on a daily basis. (yes, much of the world is still very
sexist) If this is our experience as a gender, why would any woman volunteer to be subject
to an aggressive environment on her free time? And I really think the anti-wikipedian
movement is an indication it exists. No one hates that much unless they loved as strong.
Have the time they remind me scorned of users who feel they have been really wronged. No
one invest that much time in hating unless they feel they have been disillusioned.
Sent from my iPhone
On Feb 5, 2011, at 5:09 PM, Ism Woonpton <woonpton(a)gmail.com> wrote:
?? I appreciate your understanding of and empathy with
my experience,
and thanks for that, but not sure what to make of the rest of it.
I don't think this has anything to do with being easily intimidated.
I don't think anyone who knows me IRL would say I'm easily
intimidated. I once faced down a man with a gun who was threatening
to kill a friend of mine, and got him to put the gun away. I once, in
a meeting room in Washington DC, faced down a panel of political
appointees, appointed by the White House, who were intent on making
me change the final report of a national study to reflect the agenda
of the administration. They said "We want the report to say x." I
said, "Our data don't support x." They said, "Have the courage to go
beyond your data!" I stood my ground and the report was published as
originally written. I once, when I was being pressured to
misrepresent some data to serve an agenda in a different context, not
only refused to do so but said I would not remain in the meeting.
This presented a problem because the meeting was in a conference room
that was too small (the table and the people sitting in chairs along
the sides of the table filled the entire room); I was at the farthest
end of the table from the door and the people along the sides wouldn't
stand up to let me get out. So I took off my high heels, climbed up
onto the table and walked the length of the table in my stocking feet
and off the other end and out the door. I could tell 20 stories like
this, but those should suffice to settle the question of how easily
intimidated I am. So while I still don't quite understand what that
comment about being easily intimidated was about or who it was
directed at, I'm just saying it doesn't seem to have anything to do
with me.
As for rationality, yes, battling ignorance is rational, but there
are different ways and places to battle ignorance, and when
considering which one is likely to be the most productive place to put
one's time, one must consider (1) the likelihood of success, (2) the
possible consequences and (3) one's level of personal and professional
responsibility. For Wikipedia, the numbers don't look good, for me.
The likelihood of my making a dent against ignorance by editing
Wikipedia is 0%, at least that's the cumulative result from three
years of trying. The likelihood of negative consequence in the form
of personal harassment and offwiki smear campaign is obviously 100%,
since it's already happened, and unlike situations I listed above
where I was in a position where I had a clear responsibility to the
public and to my reputation for professional integrity to be true to
the data, in the case of Wikipedia there is no responsibility or
necessity at all for me to edit, no reason to put up with the hassle,
no possible gain, just a futile, useless, thankless effort.
I have spent my entire life battling ignorance, and will spend what's
left doing the same. But editing Wikipedia does not strike me as a
productive place to put my efforts. I keep hoping there won't be
further responses requiring clarification, but this is starting to
seem like an endless game, and I guess the best way to end it will be
to unsubscribe and leave the field. Carry on,
Woonpton
On 2/5/11, Fred Bauder <fredbaud(a)fairpoint.net> wrote:
On
2/4/11, Fred Bauder <fredbaud(a)fairpoint.net> wrote:
To me the obvious answer is keep your head and
support others, all the
more so when the going gets rough.
Fred
That doesn't seem like the obvious answer to me; to me the obvious
answer is to stay the (heck) away. Why would anyone deliberately
stick around for this? I can't think of any remotely rational reason
why any remotely rational person would do that. I think I've kept
my head and supported others, all along, but that hasn't changed the
situation; nothing I could do myself would change this situation one
iota. If people are polite and congenial and supportive, as I have
been, if people are rude and insulting, as some others have been who
have fought this battle much longer than I and have grown weary and
frustrated, the situation remains the same either way; it's not the
behavior of neutral editors that is causing the problem I've
encountered.
I came to this list to explain why I don't edit Wikipedia, because I
(apparently mistakenly) thought someone here might honestly want to
know why one woman has chosen not to edit Wikipedia, but so far
mainly what I've got is responses that seem to be suggesting that I'm
causing the problem myself somehow-- a problem that's caused, not by
me, but by the failure of Wikipedia governance structures to address
in any meaningful way the problem of tendentious editing in the
service of an agenda-- and that if I would just (fill in the blank
with random Wikipedia slogans about being a better Wikipedia editor)
then all would be well. It's not true.
Woonpton
Battling ignorance is rational. Raising a small army, as we have, to
battle ignorance is also rational.
There is stereotype involved here, as demonstrated in the film High Noon:
a brave man fighting evil, a woman who deserts him.
I don't think the stereotype is valid, but having experience with my
mother, who was easily intimidated, I know there is some truth to it.
With respect to your experience, as I said, I share it, and have given up
from time to time on Wikipedia when it seemed that the ignorant and
aggressive were getting the upper hand.
Fred
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