Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    Please note that the issue is whether to provide a MEMBERS-only space,
    NOT a women-only one (which would violate DEC equal-access policy).
    
    						=maggie

                   REK

        Steve Lionel has quite eloquently described why this is a bad
        idea. 
        
        In essence, I think that it is dangerous because it lulls you
        into thinking the information in the conference is confidential
        and private. It isn't. You should assume that everything you
        write here (and in closed conferences like GDE) will be seen by
        your boss, the person who will interview you for your next
        transfer, and anyone else who is at DEC world wide or will be 1,
        5, or 10 years from now. 
        
        Similarly, there is no way to keep either men or louts from
        messing discussion among women or well mannered people short of
        letting them do it and then taking action against them. DEC will
        not tolerate conferences that don't let everyone who wants to
        join and write their views. 
        
        JimB.

                                                   
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    In my opinion, based on admittedly limited experience (1 file here, 2
    others on the PLATO system), the advantages outweigh the disadvantages
    by some significant factor.  I think the same would prove true for our
    file, but an experiment is easily undone in any event.
    
    						=maggie 

I'm not sure I undersstand the question being voted on...

You say that some people don't want to write in an open file because the
fear/risk is too high.  And that Anonamous notes can't handle the load. You
propose to solve this problem of fear/risk by offering the *illusion* of privacy
in a member's only conference; and an illusion it certainly is.

Jim. 

    We should have a place where we can talk about rape, our relationships
    with men, our uncomfortable image, and our anger.  There should
    be a place where we can say that Satan is male and everybody laughs
    rather than getting defensive.
    
    In a second file, we would be able to take the "big" notes/replies
    and enter them "anonymously" in the public file (with the author's
    permission of course).  Doing this would keep a valuable file available
    to those who have not yet asked to be a member of the other womannotes
    yet provide a slightly safer forum for the harder issues like our
    own self-images (real hard to discuss publicly, but the value of
    such discussion is enormous).
    
    I don't want to risk THIS file, but I think starting a second is
    a good idea.  
    
    Lee

    I've got a new name and a new node, but I'm still the same person.
    
    cin
    

	If someone wants to open such a restricted conference, they're
	free to do so. It shouldn't take a vote in this conference to
	decide whether or not to...
	
	I tend to agree that it's not a good idea, I fail to see how
	it would be "safer". Still, if someone wants to open a
	restricted WOMANNOTES, that's fine by me, as long as this one
	remains open.
	
	Mike

    	Would very much like to see some sort of members' only setup
    	(not so much as a place to reveal extremely private data,
    	but as a place to feel free to discuss issues involving
    	women.)
    
    							Suzanne...

    "MOSTLY"
    

    
    Not sure what my registration number is, but i know i'm registered.
    even if the populace votes "no", what's to stop some of us from
    creating a members-only file?
    
    e

    I feel I have been changed by some of the more personal and painful
    entries in this conference.  I believe it's worthwhile to encourage
    people to share this kind of information with this community.
    
    I'm willing to try a second, members-only conference in order to
    encourage this kind of sharing.  I trust the moderators to judge
    whether the experiment succeeds or fails.
    
    Bob

    The polling is closed, and the introduction strings are open again.
    
    							=maggie

    Although this does not appear to have been an issue about which the
    majority of our community felt strongly, the men evidently felt a
    greater sense of clear commitment than did the women. 
    
    women cast 39% of the votes (16 of 41), and were evenly split 
    ( 8 for, 8 against )
    
    men cast 61% of all votes (25 of the 41), and were strongly (72%) in
    favor of maintaining the status quo. 
    
    The proposal has been defeated.
    
    						=maggie