Why have HackFests been Dropped from the PLUG Schedule?

Tue Dec 2 10:20:23 MST 2014

I'm a lurker on this list and haven't had time to go to an actual plug
meeting in years so take my input as you may... that said PLUG should take
these issues seriously because these are the kinds of issues that tear
apart organizations.

When people take the time to cite specific examples and tell you that they
feel a negative bias towards them the wrong response is to deny their
feelings are valid.  A major problem most clubs/organizations have unless
they make a concerted effort not to be is that overtime they get cliquish
and non-inclusive; unless an effort is made not to do so long time members
start to feel and act as if it is their organization and can seem like
dictators to new people.  I haven't been involved enough in PLUG to know if
that is happening here but the emails flying around right now make it sound
like it could be that way.  I've seen these kinds of issues destroy groups
before; I'm sure I'm not the only person that has no desire to be a group
that discriminates against women or any other body of people.
Linux is for everyone and has the most diversity of any operating system I
know.

-- JD Austin
Voice: 480.269.4335 (480 2MY Geek)
jd at twingeckos.com

On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 9:38 AM, Kaoru Wilbur <m.kaoru.wilbur at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Definitely! Thanks for that.
>
> When asked what I would do with my pi, I mentioned I was going to do a Tor
> Relay. One member looked at me, laughed and said, Good luck with that.
>
> Another time, I was assisting someone with an install. The idiot next to
> me was flinching twitching and making grunting noises.
> Finally, I turned off the machine and said, "And what would you do?!"
> He made a suggestion which was what I actually had done already.
> The woman who I was assisting even said, "Isn't that what you were doing"
>
> Another incident was when I stated that one member of the installfests was
> rude and if Todd didn't take care of that, I would. I was accused of
> threatening this member when I was simply stating in front of a group of
> people that Mark was a rude arrogant problem that needed to be dealt with.
>
> Now, maybe, it's just Todd. However, I went to leadership who did nothing
> until I started making noise at a higher level. The noise wasn't even about
> the gender bias but the push on Ubuntu and the treatment of members.
> Incidentally, when I went to local leadership, he acted as if I were lying
> before any investigation.
>
> Women come to your meetings and then leave. Maybe the general population
> of the group do not realize why because so many people come and go from the
> PLUG. Maybe people think women cannot handle the content or that they are
> leaving because of other reasons.
>
> I was all but pushed out of your old boys club. In fact, Todd stated he
> didn't want me at the installfests. Was that because I was insisting on
> positive change or because I was female. You tell me? He laughed at me
> several times. Of course, he was not that nice to other members either. I
> never noticed him condescend to any of the males though.
>
> There is gender bias. Maybe not at your local meetings because it's just
> ALL LECTURE.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 8:41 AM, Shawn Badger <shawn at badger.pro> wrote:
>
>> I have been in the PLUG for a while now and have not seen any gender bias.
>> Can you point to any examples of how the group is gender biased so the
>> group can work on those issues?
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Dec 2, 2014 at 12:33 AM, Kaoru Wilbur <m.kaoru.wilbur at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> hans,
>>>
>>> I am sorry you cannot take a joke.
>>> Of course, sexual harassment is no joking matter.
>>> Accusations of this are quite serious.
>>>
>>> I never witnessed anything or experienced sexual harassment.
>>>
>>> Gender bias is quite obvious in your LUG.
>>>
>>> On Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 10:44 PM, der.hans <PLUGd at lufthans.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Am 01. Dez, 2014 schwätzte Kaoru Wilbur so:
>>>>
>>>>  Well, this was an interesting thread.
>>>>> I would like to chime in here for a moment.
>>>>>
>>>>> While I have not experienced unwanted sexually advances by anyone at
>>>>> PLUG
>>>>> in recent years, I will state there is a gender bias, definitely.
>>>>>
>>>>> Some people may not experience this gender bias because, well frankly,
>>>>> we
>>>>> are unsure of your gender...
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> That's uncalled for, especially right as you're claiming there is
>>>> gender bias.
>>>>
>>>>  All joking aside, as a community, we really could be a little more
>>>>> thoughtful, tactful and less like assholes.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Most of us do a good job. Over the years there have only been problems
>>>> with a few people. Most adjust their behavior when it's pointed out.
>>>>
>>>> ciao,
>>>>
>>>> der.hans
>>>> --
>>>> #  http://www.LuftHans.com/        http://www.PhxLinux.org/
>>>> #  "Every person who has mastered a profession is a skeptic concerning
>>>> #  it." -- George Bernard Shaw
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