[Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

[Robert L. Balliot]

Roy,

Now you are making me imagine that Code4Lib is:

One woman, free 'Happy Hour' at the Embassy Suites, 
and a nerd herd. 

That is not a pretty thing to envision right before
Christmas. For Pete's sake, get a gender balance!
 
*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
1-401-441-5763
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
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-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Roy Tennant
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 11:15 AM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Code4lib 2008 Minority Scholarship

The gender ratio of Code4Lib is the exact opposite of what Robert Baillot
imagines it to be. Therefore, encouragement to help us alleviate this
imbalance is badly needed. As for Mike Taylor's comment that this is
"patronizing", shouldn't the potential recipients of this offer decide? So
far we have had no indication that it is perceived so. Is it "divisive"? I
think not, but if someone were alienated by such an offer then perhaps we
are better off without them.

The future I want is the one that Jeremy Frumkin is working to create --
library technical conferences such as Code4Lib that are welcoming and
fostering of female participation. The very fact that we can have a
technical conference overwhelmingly dominated by men in a profession
dominated by women is disturbing to me, as I would like to think it is
disturbing to others.

Jeremy is one of the few to take real actions while others such as myself
appear content with rhetoric. If you want to attack someone, I would make a
much better target for your ill-aimed sniping.
Roy