[diversity-talk] The recent unpleasantness

[Randal Hale]

I think instead of worrying so much about Serge's feelings or the fact 
he won't participate for 60 days - You've a person - Alyssa - who 
doesn't feel safe participating in a "diversity talk list". Just by me 
typing those words "Doesn't feel safe" - that's all the reason you need 
for a ban.

The email Serge sent speaks for itself. Had I typed that - I would 
expect banning or worse. I'm happy with the ban. I think personally 
longer - but that's why I don't want to be in charge of anything but me. 
Excessive? Maybe. It was way more than a "first offense" email. I stand 
behind Darrel completely.

To paraphrase my discussion with Darrel and Alyssa:

  * Everyone deserves respect. It wasn't shown.
  * Bullying doesn't stand for anyone. I don't care if it's neuro
    diversity, gender, religion, or ethnicity. Serge shouted alyssa
    down. She doesn't feel safe. I could stop here.
  * He banned her from a OSM Community Meetup in NY. To quote from the
    second email from Serge "You're right, Alyssa and I do have a
    history, and that does create a lens by which I read her words."
  * He could have apologized - Didn't.

If Darrel didn't follow the rules - then you have your first case study 
on a COC. Fix it. Make it crystal clear. Let the ban stand though. If 
you don't and you're condoning his actions. Condone what he did and this 
diversity talk list is just a waste of time and energy.

I don't think that it is.

Oh and congrats to Alyssa on being the OSM US Board President. Just saw 
the email.

Randy


On 12/02/2014 06:22 PM, Frederik Ramm wrote:
> Darrell,
>
>     without going into the specifics of this case, there's one bit in
> your message that had a bad taste for me.
>
> What you have essentially done is elevate Serge's message to almost
> "extreme violation" status because you've decided to sanction
> immediately, rather than just going through the usual procedure.
>
> Your justification for this seems to be behaviour outside of this list
> and/or, and this is the bit I take particular offense with,
>
> "The private responses to me have generally expressed that is part of a
> pattern of behavior, and not an isolated incident."
>
> Which, in essence, means nothing less than people having emailed you in
> private and influenced your decision by telling you bad things about Serge.
>
> I've been on the unpleasant end of moderation myself and I can tell you
> that there's few things more hurtful than having a "secret court"
> against you in which some people get the chance to whisper something in
> the moderator's ear, and the moderator ends up partly justifying their
> decision by what he's been told.
>
> "Lurkers support me in email" is a common theme on mailing lists, and it
> is incredibly easy to succumb to this but a moderator especially should
> not. If accusations cannot be in plain view (anonymised by the moderator
> if absolutely necessary) then they should also not be used to build a
> case against someone. Just like in a proper legal process, the accused
> has to have a chance to see what accusations are leveled against them,
> rather than just: "Emails have been sent by an undisclosed number of
> unnamed people which paint the picture of the accused being a repeat
> offender."
>
> (Had I known that you were soliciting email comments about Serge's
> character, who knows, I might have sent one in his favour?)
>
> The absolute least you should have done is say something like how many
> "private responses" you have had from how many people and what they
> said, roughly.
>
> Else you're not only blocking someone from participating for 60 days,
> but you're also giving them the nagging feeling that there's an
> undefined mob (2 people? 5? 10? 50?) out there who are happy to secretly
> email everyone about an alleged "pattern of behaviour". And what
> recourse is there against rumours?
>
> Bye
> Frederik
>

-- 
-----------------
Randal Hale
North River Geographic Systems, Inc
http://www.northrivergeographic.com
423.653.3611 rjhale at northrivergeographic.com
twitter:rjhale     http://about.me/rjhale
http://www.northrivergeographic.com/spatial-connect

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