On Thu, April 18, 2013 6:44 pm, Andrew Sullivan wrote: > On Thu, Apr 18, 2013 at 08:17:21AM -0700, Dan Harkins wrote: >> So a problem statement has been made: there is a notable lack of >> diversity in the areas of race and gender. Why is this a problem? > > Because some people report that they experience a chilly environment, > and we respect those people for their other contributions and would > like more people like them to contribute in similar ways, and > therefore we want to make the environment less chilly. I'm sort of > surprised that that problem, which has been stated in my view quite > plainly more than once in this thread, isn't evident to anyone > participating. Well, that is certainly not the message that I read. What I read was that the I* leadership is 97% male (and 97% white) and that alone puts into question the legitimacy of the IETF as an International Standards Development Organization. If people are encountering a chilly environment then that is a different issue. It has been a few IETFs since I've heard someone approach the mic and say "that is the stupidest idea I've heard in a long time" and a few more since it was said to me. That kind of brusqueness is part of our culture but I think it can be off-putting and a barrier to contributing. New people get intimidated around a bunch of aggressive type-A personalities and may be reluctant to present or contribute for fear of being put down. If we want to make the IETF a less chilly place that is more inviting and we want to encourage participation maybe we should address our cultural tics and idiosyncrasies that represent a barrier to entry rather than enumerate the women who have registered for a meeting. (And yes, I am talking about myself). regards, Dan.