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From: jwtlai@watcgl.waterloo.edu (Jim W Lai)
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Where are the Women?
Message-ID: <19049@milton.u.washington.edu>
Date: 26 Mar 91 02:23:54 GMT
References: <18995@milton.u.washington.edu>
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In article <18995@milton.u.washington.edu> cyberoid@milton.u.washington.edu (Rob
ert Jacobson) writes:

>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.

Look at soc.feminism (a moderated group), where the majority of the posters
are male.  I see a more reasonable representation of (i.e. more) women on
rec.games.frp.
 
>(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?)

(I don't suppose I could get a grant for being one, eh?  Oh, well.)

>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?

A cynical point of view would be that eclecticism and openness was never
required for advances to be made within a field.  I would dare say that the
situation now is better than it was several decades ago.  Of course many
improvements can be made, but I think that is already the trend.

Well, it's hard to force more people to post or subscribe to this group.
Personally, I'd place the responsibility at the individual level.  (There is
no central authority to blame in this case.)  Ultimately, that's where any
problem in communication rests, isn't it?  Why not periodically post an
informal introduction to this group and what topics are relevant (e.g. point
out that there's more to this field than hardware setups and conference
postings)?  As a moderator, all you can do is invite and inform people.


[MODERATOR'S NOTE:  And you can do the same.  Please do.  Thanks. -- Bob J.]