[Linux-aus] Some Anti-Harassment Policies considered harmful

[Melissa Draper]

On Mon, 2011-01-31 at 20:42 +1100, Russell Coker wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Jan 2011, Russell Stuart <russell-linuxaus at stuart.id.au> wrote:
> 
> > Don't like someone in photocomp doing portrait
> > studies at rego?  Claim it is "harassing photography" (circular
> > definition?).
> 
> I think it's reasonable that people should ask permission before doing 
> "portrait studies".  In general it's really not uncommon for people to get 
> very upset when their children are photographed, I've seen people photograph 
> young children at LCA events without getting permission from their parents.  
> It also doesn't seem unreasonable to me that women would want to attend 
> conferences without being photographed should have their wishes respected.
> 
> Why not have a call for volunteers for portrait studies?  I'm quite happy to 
> have people take my photo if they wish.  If the desire is to create works of 
> art then male models should do as well as female.
> 
> > The issue I have with that is the society I happen to live
> > in already defines that in a way that is seemingly acceptable to the
> > vast majority of people who live within it.  And obviously it is better
> > written, as authored by lawyers and whatnot who do it as a day job, and
> > it is better vetted as it has been through the political treadmill we
> > subject most of our  Australian laws to.  I am not sure why as a
> > conference organiser I am asked to use a different definition.

This is a bad example. There were several people, and not just women,
getting quite annoyed at certain other people taking photos of them
despite being asked to stop. Repeatedly asked to stop in some cases.

I especially loved the bit where by on Open Day I was berated for a
friend getting so tired of trying to opt out that she just started
sabotaging by flicking the bird.