[Foundation-l] [Wikichix-l] Moderating an open list

[Andre Engels]

2006/12/5, Puppy <puppy at killerchihuahua.com>:

> It was about a solution to women not being comfortable on WP due to
> bias. Whether that solution is a good one or not was /not/ being
> addressed.


Well, I felt it was, but maybe it just means I and others have not been
clear in our arguments. I think it would be a very bad solution, because it
would not help one iota. If we want to make Wikipedia more woman-friendly,
then Wikipedia is the place to work. That might sound like a triviality, but
someone who finds Wikipedia an unhospitable place for them, will still find
it unhospitable if there is a small secluded corner to talk with others of
the same feeling.

> So why are you dismissing it? I think "it doesn't help" is the best ground
> > for dismissal I can think of.
> >
> I didn't dismiss it. That's what "firmly on the fence" means - that I do
> not support nor oppose it, and am still considering the concept. And I
> have yet to see any reason why it would not help. I have reasons why it
> would, and I have seen concerns that it might hurt the project in other
> ways, but I have not seen any reason given that it would not help.
>

Any action against sexism and gender bias should be taken on Wikipedia (and
the other projects and mailing lists) itself. I don't see how it helps to
have a friendly away place if people have to get back to Wikipedia anyway.
If they feel it's too sexist (I personally do not have the feeling it's
rampant, but it undoubtedly occurs), they will have problems with it with or
without Wikichix. And if they want their discussions to have some practical
effect, they should probably do them elsewhere as well.

If the goal is to get more women on mailing lists, I can see it would
probably be effective. If the goal is to get their voice heard, I'm
doubtful. If the goal is to diminish sexism on Wikipedia and the mailing
lists, I'm quite convinced it is not.

-- 
Andre Engels, andreengels at gmail.com
ICQ: 6260644  --  Skype: a_engels