Agreed RTM can be a good answer.

I desperately wanted to find an excellent TEDx talk on why a the Hijab is not a 
symbol of oppression (perhaps that should be "not always" I don't know). 15 
minutes RTM replaced a lifetime of "education" for me. Unfortunately I was 
unable to find it. An M with a reference to it would be awesome.

I'll try to find it when on a proper device.

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________________________________
From: Rich Bowen <rbo...@rcbowen.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 11, 2019 9:37:40 AM
To: diversity@apache.org
Subject: Re: Diversity in a diverse world



On 5/10/19 8:18 PM, Craig Russell wrote:
> But then I think that RTFM is not a good answer to a serious question.

Perhaps not, but RTM is often, even usually, a good answer. ie, omitting
the "F" and calmly and respectfully pointing them to the M, and asking
them to R it, if their question was, in fact, asked in good faith, and
not derisively.

When a question (viz: Why does diversity matter at all when we're all
anonymous, and we could all be dogs, and so on) is asked again, and
again, and again, for literally decades, and answered each time, there
comes a point where pointing someone to the docs, and asking them to
actually do some homework, is not only appropriate, but necessary.

The entire Diversity discussion at Apache has a long history of being
dismissed by a small group of our membership who, EVERY TIME, respond
with "explain it to me, because I don't get it," and then ignore the
explanation.

This is why, as I said on another list, I warned against the D&I effort
being lifted to the level of a President's Committee, or even a PMC -
not because I don't believe the work to be critical (it absolutely is)
but because I knew that there was only one way that this conversation
goes at Apache. It is toxic, not because the *TOPIC* itself is in any
way to be avoided, but because of the ENORMOUS distractions that get
thrown at it.

I naively believe that this time we'll actually get something done,
because of the passionate, motivated people gathered around the issue
this time. But I also believed that last time. And the time before that.
And each time, certain individuals (the list I had in mind a month ago
have dutifully, reliably, showed up and said *EXACTLY* the things I knew
they would) throw sand on the tracks, even though they stand to benefit
from the work, done well, but resent other people spending their own
time doing it.

So, yes, we absolutely should be telling people to RTM. And anyone who
actually *cares* to spend literally one minute looking will find that M.
And when they are unwilling to do that, it makes it abundantly evident
that the question itself is not in good faith, but is asked because they
believe, somewhere in the dark corners of their mind, that making the
table bigger will rob them of their fair share.

But it won't. Because Open Source is a pot luck. People bring dishes to
share. More people, and a bigger table, means a better meal, not that
the people who were here first are somehow no longer going to get the
dish they like.

I will stop mixing metaphors and go work on something else, because the
intense frustration I am experiencing around this thread, and the other
78 related threads, is making it increasingly likely that I'm going to
say things I'll regret.

--
Rich Bowen - rbo...@rcbowen.com
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@rbowen

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