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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>In the early days of this list, quite a few
participants of both genders expressed the view that "women are turned off by
all the fighting and feuding".</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I don't doubt the validity of that sentiment, and
that it reflects the feelings of some of the women who posted it. And, while of
course it isn't just women who are turned off by that, I think it is true that
more women than men would just go somewhere else rather than get in
the middle of that sort of thing.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>But I think we should be careful considering
this because it's far too easy to fall into the stereotype of women
as too fragile to handle any sort of conflict, and thus requiring exclusion
or limitation from any sphere where that might break out. We all know that's not
true, or we wouldn't be here.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>And for what it's worth, two of the very small
group of Wikipedia editors I'd figuratively walk across the street to avoid are
women.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Daniel Case</FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>