Dept. of Raging Disappointment

[kaffy_r]

Boosting the Signal

Just so you folks know, I sent this email to the Wikimedia Foundation earlier tonight.

To Whom It May Concern,

This year, for the first time, I donated money to support the Wikimedia Foundation, and I thought I had done a good thing in doing so.

However, the recent news that your Arbitration Committee has made a decision to permanently ban five writers and editors, in response to pressure from members of the so-called Gamergate community, has decreased my respect for, and confidence in, your organization and its policies.

I refer to these reports:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jan/23/wikipedia-bans-editors-from-gender-related-articles-amid-gamergate-controversy

http://internet.gawker.com/wikipedia-purged-a-group-of-feminist-editors-because-of-1681463331

I hope someday to be able to donate to your organization again. For now, however, I join other members of the Internet community in saying that, until you fix Wikipedia's systemic bias against women, you will not get another penny from me.

And please do not indulge in the traditional defense of the disingenuous and cowardly; do not say, "We are not responsible." Of course you are, because you are financing and supporting the toxic atmosphere of its administrative and cultural infrastructure.

The buck stops with you.

Most sincerely,

Kathryn J. Routliffe

With many thanks to kerravonsen 

Comments

[kaffy_r]

Racing to work again (from my livingroom to the home office, granted, but still, racing - and I notice you PM'd me, so I'll read that when I can and chat with you there. But I will say very quickly that I believe you. I may not know you well, because we have not spent time together, except as bouncing pixels, but I am familiar enough with what you've presented to me as yourself that it does not surprise me that you would not think in many of the same terms that are common amongst our human tribe.

But you, as we've both commented on in the past, are an unusual representative of the tribe. The way you think is not, perhaps, indicative.

And I will stand by the commentary in the icon because the comment that tops the icon is almost always used by people in certain types of conversations - and those conversations, if taken far enough, and observed carefully, generally reveal a) that of course they do see gender/race/whathaveyou and b) they are saying what they say because they do not want to have to consider the issue of gender/race/whathaveyou, if it makes them feel uncomfortable.
At best, these can be c) lovely people who are sure that simply by stating that they don't see g/r/w, they can impress the rest of the world into doing the same. Neither a), b), nor c) obviate what is said in the icon.

But there is no doubt in my mind that you are telling the truth about your experiences. Because of that, I believe this icon doesn't refer to people like you. I also believe that that means there is no need for you to be offended, although I recognize that it's not my place to command you not to be offended, since people who tell me not to get upset at something generally get the stinkeye from me.

Hmmm. Spent more time on this than I intended to. Now it's off to the races/salt mines again.

[shanghaied]

Yes - and here I am making an even faster reply (owing to sleep-in caused by illness, still not finished with review-for-pay thingummy, gah), which will amuse you when you do get a chance to read the PM, but I want it known here on the page that you are indeed among the very, very few people I 'know' via aetherspace who are welcome to visit me in the real world. And I truly mean that. Whether or not the universe would explode in the moment of our meeting is another matter entirely :D

FWIW it irritates me to feck that I so often seem to end up in bed with the Ukippers and white supremacists and, yes, racism deniers of the world even though I am NOTHING LIKE the Ukippers and white supremacists and racism deniers of the world. Maybe I should start a Respect for Outliers movement :P :P :P

Of course, as you know, I am a racist though: I am deeply prejudiced against and hateful towards the race known as humanity. I'd say I'm hoping for the next big rock to come wipe out our species, but a mega-plague specific only to our own variety of ape would be favourite because there's no need for other, far more innocent and non-toxic, species to suffer! Especially orangutans. And maybe bonobos.

And now back to the grind...

[kaffy_r]

(owing to sleep-in caused by illness, still not finished with review-for-pay thingummy, gah),

This sucks. I'm sorry that you're ill, I hope it's a temporary attack, and I hope you get the energy to finish the review for pay thing.

And I truly mean that.

I thank you for that, a great deal.

Whether or not the universe would explode in the moment of our meeting is another matter entirely :D

Heh. Not before we had a cuppa/joint martinis/damn fine coffee, and maybe a good steak. Or lamb? I make a pretty good curry, and my Nana brought me up to like lamb curry ....

FWIW it irritates me to feck that I so often seem to end up in bed with the Ukippers and white supremacists and, yes, racism deniers of the world even though I am NOTHING LIKE the Ukippers and white supremacists and racism deniers of the world.

Hmmm. I've never envisioned you as anything like that. You are an acolyte of logic and civilized good manners. Ukippers and white supremacists ... are ... not. You are, simply, you. And if we haven't chased each other off yet, then that's good.

[shanghaied]

I'm sorry that you're ill, I hope it's a temporary attack, and I hope you get the energy to finish the review for pay thing.

It's mostly that my boring chronic immune disorder wotsit has been partying hard all over me, but this time it's a real E/N/T bug. 'twill pass, but it's meant more fall-over and more time lost to having to sleep. Ho hum. Am actually very much enjoying writing this review, but it involves a lot of time-consuming research as it's a nonfiction thing.

Not before we had a cuppa/joint martinis/damn fine coffee, and maybe a good steak. Or lamb? I make a pretty good curry, and my Nana brought me up to like lamb curry ....

Cuppa and camelburgers, perhaps? With liqueur muscat for afters? I've never really come to terms with red meat - it's something I keep trying to convince myself I like, but I truly don't - but so far, camel and roo (and a spot of Bambi once every year or two) are all I can put up with.

And if we haven't chased each other off yet, then that's good.

Unlikely to happen, since you too are a rare outpost of actual!sentient!brainmeats! :D