<p dir="ltr">Wow. Just because a person has a differing view from you doesn't mean they should be removed at _your behest_.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Could you imagine what would happen if this wasn't Linux-aus but religion-aus. We'd be down to 1 member really quickly!</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Oct 30, 2013 7:37 AM, "Donna Benjamin" <<a href="mailto:donna@kattekrab.net">donna@kattekrab.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>You're a troll. You should be removed from this mailing list.<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">David Newall <<a href="mailto:davidn@davidnewall.com" target="_blank">davidn@davidnewall.com</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<pre>(:-P (tongue in cheek)<br><br>Apparently we need special programmes to address an imbalance between <br>the sexes; in politics, employment, management and elsewhere, this is <br>widely accepted as appropriate. Linux Australia is not immune to this; <br>
we give opportunities and support to females. This puts an elephant in <br>the corner: women gain opportunities at the expense of more capable (or <br>more needy) men. This undermines their credibility; it raises reasonable <br>
doubts about their competence. Are they there from merit or merely to <br>make up the numbers?<br><br>Maggie Thatcher was never PM to improve numbers; she was destined to be <br>leader of UK; she earned the role. Affirmative action needed no part in <br>
her glory. She was the best candidate. Yet I think she must have <br>struggled to overcome doubt. (Arguably she was better because of the <br>doubt, but that's for another day.)<br><br>I say m
erit is
blind to sex; it shines from inner strength. I say <br>special programmes damage the interests they purport to serve. How can <br>someone be taken seriously if there was obligation to give a women the <br>place? We do them naught but disservice by gifting favours that are <br>
intrinsically merited. We do naught but disservice by filling seats <br>with lesser competence.<br><br>We see ourselves as a meritocracy; for sake of honesty and transparency, <br>our special programmes for women should candidly admit patronage of <br>
incompetence over political correctness. Let's cancel our "women in IT" <br>programmes and replace them with programmes that reward "incompetent <br>women in IT," or at least to widen eligibility to include hamsters and <br>
fish. That way, competent women, of which we have plenty, can leave no <br>doubt that they won prestige merely on shining ability.<br><br>Chew, swallow, digest.<br><br><hr><br>linux-aus mailing
list<br><a href="mailto:linux-aus@lists.linux.org.au" target="_blank">linux-aus@lists.linux.org.au</a><br><a href="http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus" target="_blank">http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus</a><br>
</pre></blockquote></div><br>
-- <br>
Donna Benjamin<br>
@kattekrab<br>
Sent from phone.</div><br>_______________________________________________<br>
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<br></blockquote></div>