3 ms·
https://gist.github.com/4106776#gistcomment-602103 https://gist.github.com/4106776#gistcomment-602103 is relevant, and everyone involved in this discussion shou
by mjg59 14y ago
https://gist.github.com/4106776#gistcomment-602103 https://gist.github.com/4106776#gistcomment-602103 is relevant, and everyone involved in this discussion should read it. The argument so far has been presented as a false dichotomy - either take the best speakers (who all happen to be white men) or accept lower quality proposals in order to ensure some token degree of representation. Those aren't the only options. It's entirely possible to obtain a larger number of speakers from minority groups in your community without compromising your conference's quality. You just need to care about things like outreach, the way you write your CFP and the presence of policies to reassure people that harassment won't be tolerated. Do that, and you'll suddenly find that you have a high quality conference with a more diverse panel of speakers.
- guard-of-terra 14y agoThis is a nice example but I doubt this skill is transferrable, and anyway I don't think ruining a conference will make anybody happier. Barring a few trolls who didn't care much about Ruby in the first place.
- mjg59 14y agoThe person who originally complained about the speaker lineup on Twitter is an organiser of the Golden Gate Ruby Conference. That conference successfully attracted a far more mixed speaker demographic. Are you implying that he was attempting to ruin the conference?
- guard-of-terra 14y agoWell, that's what he did cause. So now he is an organiser of one conference and the ruiner (not sure English has this word) of another one. Maybe he didn't mean to. But maybe guys at the British conference didn't mean anything either.
- youngtaff 14y agoTo me much of this whole thing boils down to differences between the UK and the US and there respective approaches to equal opportunities and affirmative action. Similar factors were are play in the reaction to Faruk's .net article and Laura Sanders response. The US approach to diversity and equal opportunities isn't right for everyone and some people perhaps need to remember that.