[Gendergap] Nine Reasons Women Don't Edit Wikipedia

[carolmooredc at verizon.net]

On 2/20/2011 5:24 PM, Marc Riddell wrote:
> Sue, as you know, this is the area of my greatest concern regarding the
> future of the Wikipedia Project. The gender gap is a part of the larger
> problem you described above: That of a combative, hostile and defensive
> culture that presents an unchecked arena for Community Member harassment and
> abuse - that prevents the type of healthy, intelligent and productive
> collaboration that can, and will, improve and maintain the quality of the
> Project. Is there, are there, plans to mount a similar initiative to tackle
> this larger problem? To approach it as a gender-neutral problem?
>
> Marc Riddell
Frankly, I've been a bit discouraged by the lack of interest in these 
specific current efforts I mentioned 10 days ago:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Civility#Proposal
Someone else proposed language to WP:Civility to make slurs vs.
homosexuals a no -no and I pointed out it wasn't clear that slurs
against women as women are not sufficiently outlawed in the proposal (or
now).  And of course people are now saying adding one or two words to
make both clear is just too much bureaucracy.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_comment/dispute_resolution
Main relevant proposals are relating to easier blocks for bad behavior.
(Elsewhere dealing with editors who gang up on others, whether from POV
or just enjoy trashing females, has been discussed so that may yet be a
related proposal on that page.) I was working on a proposal when the NT
TImes articles came out and got sidetracked. Anyway, we definitely need
more female input.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:Username_policy#Need_more_warnings_on_using_real_names
Do we need stronger warnings to new users (esp women)*
when they register * that using real
names (or sex) can lead to harassment? Or even a check mark box for them
to check they've read about that possibility on registering ?
(Obviously, using my real name, I've had problems!)


Thanks...

Carol in dc