Unless Erik has alter egos posting here, I didn't have any problems with <i>his</i> comments. I find the idea that men and women are automatically equal participants on a list like this a bit naive, but it's not offensive. <br>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 4:04 PM, George Herbert <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:george.herbert@gmail.com">george.herbert@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
On Wed, Mar 16, 2011 at 1:48 PM, Laura Hale <<a href="mailto:laura@fanhistory.com">laura@fanhistory.com</a>> wrote:<br>
>[...]<br>
<div class="im">> Erik's comment made me feel decidedly uncomfortable. On a list dedicated to<br>
> helping increase the female participation rates on Wikipedia, Erik basically<br>
> said: WOMENS! THEY IS DISCRIMINATING AGAINST ME! If I went to some women's<br>
> communities and I posted Erik's comment (and comments of other male posters)<br>
> with the context of these comments being said on a list dedicated to<br>
> increasing female participation rates...<br>
><br>
> ... well, you'd potentially have a mob involved. This effort? It would<br>
> appear extremely sexist. (The large male involvement, the defensiveness of<br>
> men regaridng their participation contribute to this image.) That these<br>
> sexist comments are coming from the Deputy Director of WMF? It makes this<br>
> worst because it is sexism coming from inside the institution.<br>
><br>
> If you and Erik want to belong, that's great. It should be purely in<br>
> support roles: Women say they are doing this project and need help. WMF<br>
> officials step in and say we can help this way. If this was the general<br>
> mode of male participation on the list, of specific support offered in<br>
> response to specific requests, male involvement would be less problematic.<br>
<br>
<br>
</div>I would like to hear more from other women here on your impressions of<br>
and responses to Erik's comments.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
<br>
--<br>
-george william herbert<br>
<a href="mailto:george.herbert@gmail.com">george.herbert@gmail.com</a><br>
<br>
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