[Gendergap] Hello and a (small!) manifesto

[Marc Riddell]

> 
> On 2/6/11 10:10 AM, Fred Bauder wrote:
> 
>> Cracking down on hasty deleters and new-page patrolers is productive of
>> much heat and little light. It amounts to a lot of heavy lifting for very
>> little outcome.
>> 
>> I think many women have enough patience or insight to stick around long
>> enough to get though preliminary unpleasantness, survive the systemic
>> problems we have, and make substantial contributions to content and
>> policy, particularly if there is social support.
> 
> I don't think this is a wise perspective.
> 
> The treatment that new users receive is very clearly one of the reasons
> why they don't stick around.  Simply saying "oh, they'll get over it in
> time" doesn't do anything to help solve the problem, it only perpetuates it.
> 
You are absolutely right, Brandon. This is a systemic problem that has been
in existence nearly as long as the Project has. And it has been documented
countless times. If this were a technical problem it would have been solved
long ago. If it were a problem that the Foundation felt was affecting
financial contributions to the Project, it would have been a problem given a
high priority to solve. Instead, the problem involves people. And the powers
that be don't seem to know, and are not willing to learn, how to solve it.
The attitude seems to be, "If a person leaves, there are plenty to replace
them." There seems to be a high regard for content in the encyclopedia, but
a very low one for those who create it. This is a recipe for disaster.

Marc Riddell