[J3] [EXTERNAL] (SC22WG5.6222) Fwd: [SC22] ISO Gender Action Plan Survey

[Brad Richardson]

I can't believe I would have to write this, but at this point it's clear I probably should.

What would make any of you feel compelled to complain publicly about something so small? How long did it take you to read that email? How long would it have taken for you to take the survey? For me it took less than five minutes. It's taken me much longer than that just to read through these email threads. I'm sure it's taken you even longer to write them.

So what are you worried about? That selection of positions on the committee might no longer be based solely on merit? They already aren't. You have to be a member of an organization willing to pay for your participation. That's not merit. And, that discounts the fact that having a diverse group has value in itself. If we want Fortran to continue to grow as a language and attract new users, we need to include as many perspectives as possible. There are studies showing that diverse groups are able to innovate more, better consider the impacts they have, and grow their audiences more effectively. If we want Fortran to continue to be relevant into the future (and I really hope we do), it can't be developed solely by a room full of stodgy old white men. We need more perspectives.

Are you worried you might feel uncomfortable in a room full of people who aren't all just like you? Imagine how the people we're trying to reach out to feel. The slightest hint of an effort to try and be more inclusive causes a public uproar from the current members? How many people have we now run off because of this? We can't even answer that question any more because you ran them off. I have worried about whether I would be welcomed as a new comer because I didn't have the entire standard memorized. And that hasn't been unfounded because I tried to add my thoughts to a conversation and was sternly corrected when a statement I made had a subtle difference from the actual language in the standard. I'm lucky not to have other reasons to have felt unwelcome, and to be confident enough to persist through that. I can't imagine how others must feel.

Are you worried the committee might become political? There are reasons to try and be more inclusive that aren't about politics. This isn't about politics. This is about practicality and the benefits of diversity. You made it about politics by complaining publicly.

I truly hope the damage done over the last few days isn't irreparable. This committee needs to take efforts to be more welcoming and inclusive. I hope we can still be successful in that.

Respectfully,
Brad Richardson
Making Everything Functional

Sent with [ProtonMail](https://protonmail.com) Secure Email.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐ Original Message ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
On Thursday, June 4, 2020 11:07 PM, Gary Klimowicz via J3 <j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:

>> On Jun 2, 2020, at 3:45 PM, Bryce Adelstein Lelbach aka wash via J3 <j3 at mailman.j3-fortran.org> wrote:
>>
>>> This is absurdly irrelevant politics.
>>
>> When we are a small part of something big, it can be difficult to
>> understand the wider context. Please allow me to provide some
>> perspective.
>>
>> ...
>>
>> Our most valuable asset is our member organizations and their networks
>> of technical experts. The success of ISO standards hinges upon the
>> participation of a diverse stakeholders representative of the entire
>> global community. We are all responsible for identifying and fixing
>> representation gaps.
>>
>> ISO standards codify processes and technologies vital to human life,
>> such as food chain management (ISO 22000, [4]), and water
>> management/sanitation (ISO 24518, [5]). These standards impact all
>> people, and often disproportionately affect women in developing
>> countries. If some types of people are underrepresented in standards
>> development, how can we have confidence that those standards will
>> work?
>
> This. And what Damian and Brian said. And what Steve said. And the other things Bryce said.
>
> We have a habit of saying things in J3 in a way that is easily read as offensive, hurtful, or dismissive. We cannot fully understand the consequences of how we say things.
>
> So we kind of need to cut it out. Myself included.
>
> And I took the survey. Data matters. (And while I can't guarantee that the survey will be valid and valuable if I participate, I can guarantee that it won't be if I don't.)
>
> Gary
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