On Thu, April 18, 2013 6:44 pm, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 08:17:21AM -0700, Dan Harkins wrote:
So a problem statement has been made: there is a notable lack of
diversity in the areas of race and gender. Why is this a problem?
Because some people report that they experience a chilly environment,
and we respect those people for their other contributions and would
like more people like them to contribute in similar ways, and
therefore we want to make the environment less chilly. I'm sort of
surprised that that problem, which has been stated in my view quite
plainly more than once in this thread, isn't evident to anyone
participating.
Well, that is certainly not the message that I read. What I read was
that the I* leadership is 97% male (and 97% white) and that alone
puts into question the legitimacy of the IETF as an International
Standards Development Organization. If people are encountering a
chilly environment then that is a different issue.
It has been a few IETFs since I've heard someone approach the mic
and say "that is the stupidest idea I've heard in a long time" and a few
more since it was said to me. That kind of brusqueness is part of our
culture but I think it can be off-putting and a barrier to contributing.
New people get intimidated around a bunch of aggressive type-A
personalities and may be reluctant to present or contribute for fear
of being put down.
If we want to make the IETF a less chilly place that is more inviting
and we want to encourage participation maybe we should address
our cultural tics and idiosyncrasies that represent a barrier to entry
rather than enumerate the women who have registered for a meeting.
(And yes, I am talking about myself).
regards,
Dan.