[clug] [wet] Re: Scope of list (was An alternate place for longer, meandering threads?)

[Lana Brindley]

2009/9/16 Alex Satrapa <alexsatrapa at mac.com>:
> On 16/09/2009, at 12:10 , Robert Edwards wrote:
>
>> CLUG is the Canberra Linux Users Group, by which _I_ understand:
>> - Canberra and surrounding region (Southern NSW)
>
> Don't forget the ex-pat Canberrans who are now living in civilisations far
> afield such as Sydney or Perth! I hear some of us have even lived in the USA
> for a while!
>
> I don't think limiting the subscriber base artificially is going to help
> prevent unsubscription rates as much as teaching people to be polite in
> their public discussions. Such as, for example, not naming and shaming
> people when a simple statement along the lines of, "I was disappointed by a
> participant who looked around the room and quipped, 'No women here! guess we
> don't have to watch our language'" would have carried the same message. The
> offender can take their own time about realising the comment was about them.
> Everyone else can be aware that there was this *behaviour* as opposed to
> this *person* who was causing discomfort, and in the meantime we're not left
> in the awkward situation of people airing their dirty laundry in public.
>
> Along with exhorting people to "check their privilege", it might also be
> worth reminding people that other people have feelings to deal with. Getting
> along with other people is harder than getting Windows and Linux to share
> files, folks.
>
> As far as the different user groups go CLUG meetings are from all reports
> that I've heard, by far the worst when it comes to opinionated arguments by
> people who will not admit that they have made mistakes, or have an opinion
> which doesn't have basis in real-world facts (as opposed to Truth, which is
> entirely subjective). This is quite separate from the long-winded
> discussions that some people like to have when playing philosophical games.
>
> So here we are, Canberrans, the worst drivers in the country (short of
> Western Australians' collective fear of merging lanes), with the strongest
> opinions and political awareness of any society in the nation, and some of
> the blokes will have graduated from University having never realised that
> women actually existed outside of Ralph magazine or the K-Mart catalogue.
>
> We have plenty of issues to discuss, regardless of where we are currently
> located. Some of them are related to Linux and the greater community of
> Linux users. Other issues are not related at all. If someone outside the
> greater Canberra enclave has an opinion on these issues, I have no qualms
> about them expressing it - especially if they can help uncover the
> uncomfortable Truths that we have come to accept in our big country town
> culture.
>
> We can't solve social problems (threadnoughts on sexism as the prime
> example) through technical means. Social problems require people to speak up
> and say, "hey, that behaviour is not acceptable." Whether it's sexism or
> <common enemy>-bashing, it's just not cricket. However, let's not focus on
> what kind of behaviours are not acceptable on this list. Rather let us take
> the lead from those projects whose communities we admire, and encourage the
> behaviours that are desired.
>
> If someone offends you, take it up with them in private - or at worst
> describe the offensive behaviour or opinion on the list, leaving names out
> to separate the offensive behaviour from the person. In the meantime,
> remember to thank people (publicly) for the help they give you. Shame
> privately, praise publicly.
>
> Apologies for the essay.
>
> Alex
>

What a breath of fresh air! Thanks Alex :)

And, for my part:

+1

*grin*

L

-- 
Cheers! Lana

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning
of happiness or have gone stark raving mad.
  - Norm Papernick

-----------------------------------------------
http://lanabrindley.blogspot.com
-----------------------------------------------

Please avoid sending me Word, Powerpoint or Windows Media attachments.

See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html for more information.

------------------------------------------------