[Gendergap] This List Part 2

[Sarah Stierch]

Hi everyone,

As Sue mentioned, I am the co-moderator for the list. Thanks Sue for
entrusting me with such.

This list has been a remarkable place for brainstorming, sharing opinions,
discussion, rabble rousing, and inspiring for many - active or not - who
subscribe. While we have had some really intense and emotional discussions,
and we have lost a few subscribers because of it, I know personally, I have
found the first safe place in the Wiki-world where I can be myself, share my
thoughts, and partner with fellow Wikimedians passionate about not only
closing the gender gap, but other subjects. This list has been highly
productive, and in the next few months we have the opportunity to develop
policy and documentation changes that will allow for a better and healthier
community within Wikimedia as a whole, and look at what we're doing - we are
already planning outreach programs, we're examining what makes this problem
exist and how representation is being handled in Wikimedia projects. We
might not be the first, but, we surely are make firsts.

On that note - this week has been high strung for sure. We've seen heads
butt and words used that aren't always the nicest (and I'm guilty at that
also!).

I think the best thing we can do to keep this list drama free (at least, in
poo-slinging manner) is to take a look at WP:Civility. While it's not
perfect, and I understand not every culture, community or Wikipedian might
agree with it - I do think that it can provide a nice skeleton for the
mailing list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Civility without having
to develop a "special" set of rules.

For me, *this is about respect, good manners, good conversation/argument,
and wikilove - and a revolution. And being nice is not hard,* and a good
argument (in that passionate over a bottle of wine type of way) can be
friendly and healthy - so let's remember that.

In the past week we've seen things that some might categorize as "personal
attacks <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_personal_attacks>,
rudeness, disrespectful comments, and aggressive behaviours that disrupt the
project and lead to unproductive stress and conflict."  (From WP:Civility)

We're all rather mature people here, and I think we need to remember - we
are colleagues in a way - this is research, exploration, and education - the
activity and behavior that we've seen and some (including me) have
participated in over the past week is not healthy or normal for educational
environments (sorry people we're writing an encyclopedia/dictionary/media
library/etc., here!). Much of it is the type of behavior that we have been
complaining about that takes place on other mailing lists and on-Wiki.

So, let's all have a big breather and remember that some of us will
disagree, that some of us might not (always) like each other, and return to
being civil, understanding, creative and passionate about closing the gender
gap!

Thanks everyone,

Sarah

-- 
GLAMWIKI Partnership Ambassador for Wikimedia <http://www.glamwiki.org>
Wikipedian-in-Residence, Archives of American
Art<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:SarahStierch>
and
Sarah Stierch Consulting
*Historical, cultural & artistic research & advising.*
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.sarahstierch.com/
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