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From: nap@druxo.UUCP (ParsonsNA)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: What's net.women for, anyway?
Message-ID: <962@druxo.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 25-Aug-85 20:55:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: druxo.962
Posted: Sun Aug 25 20:55:40 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Aug-85 08:15:32 EDT
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Denver
Lines: 31


>                                          ...Was there any other group
> where the *majority* of the people on the net were told that they were
> not to post to it so that the minority...
>              ...could have the group all to themselves?

It was my understanding that, except for the "general" groups, each group
is intended for a minority of people on the net who share a particular
interest.  Hence, the answer to the question is "Yes, the majority is told
not to post to a newsgroup so that the minority for whom it was created can
have it all to themselves."

So, the question, it seems to me, is "What is the common interest for which
net.women exists?"  Is it supposed to be a forum for saying anything one
wishes about women?  For slinging mud at those with whom we disagree?  For
women to share experiences and encouragement?  Many of us think it should
be the latter, with, perhaps an opportunity for others to "listen in" to
what women are thinking, feeling, and doing.

This is not women asking for special privileges.  It is a group of people
(male and female) who share a particular interest asking that the group not
be dominated by people who are not contributing to that interest.

It is a group of people frustrated because it really does appear that we
are being discriminated against on the net...we are not accorded the
same courtesy that other "minorities" (subscribers to net.politics,
net.religion, etc.) are given.

Nancy Parsons
AT&T ISL