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The pandemic is still going on and there are zero mandates or restrictions. This means people that are at risk or more vulnerable can't attend these events saf
by qbasic_forever 4y ago
The pandemic is still going on and there are zero mandates or restrictions. This means people that are at risk or more vulnerable can't attend these events safely. The collective response has been to shrug this off and cast these folks out of society. This should be no surprise that it leads to less diverse crowds. The only people that will go to in person events are those that are privileged enough to do so safely and have access to resources to treat illness if/when they catch it.
- soupbowl 4y agoWhite men are privileged enough to go conferences safely without getting sick. We should put a quota on them going to the events to make it more equitable for other races with weak immune systems.
- qbasic_forever 4y agoNo we should make conferences accessible by offering virtual/streaming/hybrid, by focusing on ventilation (measuring CO2 in rooms and moving more air), limiting attendance in packed rooms, mandating vaccinations and boosters, mandating masks in public areas, etc. Basic stuff. Think of disabled people in wheelchairs. We don't say "well we better cut back on able bodied attendees to encourage more disabled"... we build f'in wheelchair ramps and accommodate them. Same thing for COVID and mitigating air spread disabling diseases should apply.
- woodruffw 4y agoI’m in complete agreement with you, but I’ll note that FOSDEM fails even your weaker test: I personally witnessed someone in a wheelchair being unable to access a talk because the room’s entrance (a curved staircase) couldn’t accommodate their chair. ULB is certainly a fun campus to have FOSDEM on (and I don’t have any real alternatives, given its size and location), but accessibility already seems to be relatively low on the list of concerns.