Dear Adrian,
> How do you plan to create a more welcoming environment for people not
> drinking alcohol, and reach out to teetotalers?
Great points, Adrian. Whilst not as rife in the free software word, alcohol
is almost used as a currency within Silicon Valley tech circles to bribe or
entice employee, with beer fridges listed as a perk and social events
happening at bars.
Whilst I've learnt over the years to accept that terms such as "go for a
pint" aren't meant to be taken 100% literally and — at least in the UK —
not drinking alcohol at social functions is becoming less of of a big deal,
I can totally relate that terms like "beersigning", the generic "I'll buy
you a beer" thank-you response and the general assumption that you would
imbibe can be a little frustrating and possibly even triggering.
In Debian, it would seem difficult to rename cherished events such as the
"Cheese & Wine BoF", but we could always advertise and underline ahead of
time that non-alcoholic beverages are available and actually ensure a
sufficient and interesting variety actually are. After all, not drinking
alcohol hardly implies a diet consisting entirely of Coca-Cola.
However, moderating the atmosphere so that non-drinkers do not feel like
they are unwelcome, perhaps by curbing excess in some of the drinkers, might
be the key here. In addition, not making it the assumption that you would
drink at waitered meals (and thus requiring special attention or "fuss"
when one declines) would seem to to make a big difference.
What do you think? Are there specific things you would be looking for?
Best wishes,
--
,''`.
: :' : Chris Lamb
`. `'` la...@debian.org / chris-lamb.co.uk
`-
