[Gendergap] A stereotype we should be careful about ...

[Daniel and Elizabeth Case]

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".

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.

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.

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.

Daniel Case 
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