Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

["Michael D. Thomas" <mdthomas AT mindspring.com>]

> Do I think it was introduced because we want to continue to grow the ING
> community and part of that is outreach to folks that aren't in the
> community yet, which includes minority ethnic groups? Yes.

Yup! Our group has grown mainly by word-of-mouth "organic" growth. The
problem with organic growth is that it's very easy to develop a mere "Old 
Boy's
club"... each person only invites people that they know and are comfortable
with... but unfortunately, we humans tend to clump together... Organic growth
can easily lead to a very homogeneous group.

I think everyone agrees diversity is good for a group like ours... I think 
that b/c
we're very intellectual in nature, the exposure to differing experiences and
ways of thinking is key. I also think that Internetworkers has seeded some
valuable relationships in our year and a half we've existed... I think that it
is something of a civic responsibility to make sure that everyone is welcome
and comfortable at our gatherings and on our list.

So... how do we encourage diversity? Embrace it! A lot of this can be done on
the individual level... Afterall, new people sign up for the list/come to 
gatherings
b/c they hear about it. We've never publicized the group, so that growth is 
word-
-of-mouth. So, the individuals of this group grow the group by who they tell 
about
it. (I used to invite a lot of people, but I've already invited everyone I 
know!)

I hope that we've done everything we could to make the group open to this 
"word
of mouth" type diversification. If we haven't, then PLEASE be very vocal 
about it....

But, this type of diversification runs smack in to the "Old Boys Club" problem
described above. We must consider that to truly embrace diversity, we have to 
step
up and reach a bit further.

I've noticed several people (including S S Tempest) have voiced this idea 
already
on this thread... I'd be willing to paricipate in the organization of a 
diversity effort.
Now, note -- we've never done something like this before... But, that's how 
this
group works. Individuals propose and set the direction.

Later!




















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