Randolph:
> I certainly do _not_ know everyone's feelings on this matter.
Indeed. Perhaps an exception could be made for anyone who hasn't yet posted
on this issue.
> Please do not ask people not to post. A very very few of the over three
> hundred members have posted on this subject.
> I wish to know where the consensus of the list lies, otherwise it's
> impossible to be fair to everyone concerned.
But this isn't the issue here as I see it, Randolph. This thread is
becoming, by the day, ever more acrimonious and personalised. And limited
to a narrow range of people.
Every night, I go to bed thinking, "This can't get any worse", and every
moring I wake up and read the poetryetc posts that have accumulated and
discover that it has.
Specifically, this morning, I had to bite my tongue to keep my temper. I
decided to take my own advice and not say anything, as about EVERY
contribution to this thread seems to end up stirring things more.
On the other hand, I'd be quite happy to tell you backchannel what had me
trembling with fury. But not frontchannel.
> And I find it a bit disoncerting that when the question is raised as to
> whether or not this list is less than welcoming to women that two men
almost
> immediately ask that the debate be discontinued.
I don't think that was the debate that Roger and I wished to see
discontinued. It's an issue well worth discussing, but one that should be
dealt with away from the more-fury-than-sense that's hanging around "the
List" thread.
Let's start a separate thread on this -- I'd agree, it's an important issue.
Specifically, Randolf, could you tell us the gender-composition of the list,
men vs. women? (I agree, having been gender-bent myself over my name, this
may not be entirely transparent.) Two issues are involved that this sort of
detail would illuminate -- are women keeping off/leaving the list, and of
the current members, are men posting disproportionately?
How far (a separate issue) does this have to do with the gendering of
language? I could go on. I'd love to see this +properly+ discussed.
:-(
Cheers,
Robin
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