Thanks!
Thanks!
Posted Oct 1, 2007 22:10 UTC (Mon) by rickmoen (subscriber, #6943)In reply to: Thanks! by sjj
Parent article: To Sir, with Love: How To Get More Women Involved in Open Source (O'ReillyNet)
sjj wrote:
respect is not a one-dimensional variable. Separate respect for each person as him/herself (this is a right) from respect for technical prowess (this is earned).
FWIW, I mildly and respectfully ;-) dissent from the popular notion that people (as people in themselves) deserve respect as a claim of right -- at least, as best I understand what you mean by that phrase. People as people merit civility (in the general case[1]), if only because the resulting discourse is more pleasant to read, and less likely to digress into time-wasting, irrelevant psychodrama. Civility is worth speaking out for.
It's possible you actually meant that people (in the general case[1]) deserve civility, in which case I think you'll get very wide agreement. If you think, in contrast, that they have an inherent right to receive a reception that will boost their senses of self-worth, then I suspect you're receive only expressions of concurrence that are insincere and/or tactical.
[1] There are exceptions: Not all people behave in a manner that merits civility, though many will grant it anyway for decorum's sake.
Rick Moen
rick@linuxmafia.com