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From: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Robert Jacobson)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Where are the Women?
Message-ID: <18995@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 25 Mar 91 07:01:10 GMT
Article-I.D.: milton.18995
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Organization: Human Interface Technology Lab, Univ. of Wash., Seattle
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Approved: cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu



After nearly 2 megabytes of conversation on this newsgroup, I'm sorry to
report that only two women have responded to the Roll Call...and as far as I
can tell, NO women have participated, even once, in the online discussions.
 
(I presume that among us are non-white males, so I won't raise a similar
note of alarm in that regard.  Am a right not to do so?)

What does this mean for a field that prides itself on its eclecticism and
openess, that counts among its proponents and practitioners, at least in
the press, women of some accomplishment and esteem?  Is the newsgroup (and
USENET in general) simply too esoteric to draw in women discussants, who
have better things to do?  Or are we in danger, in our virtual worlds, of
nerding ourselves into a fraternalistic but ultimately sterile social envi-
ronment without the different points of view and talents that women might
bring to this newsgroup?

As moderator, I am quite distressed, and turn to you, the current partici-
pants, to join with me in pondering this situation -- and perhaps, pro-
posing a solution.  

Bob Jacobson
Moderator

PS Thanks to Meredith Bricken, Suzanne Weghorst, and Natalie Stenger, who
brought this lacuna within our own lab to the attention of the male
staffers with, I believe, good results.