Meeting minutes
PubRules guidance on gender identity
relevant issues https://github.com/w3c/idcg/issues/15 and https://github.com/w3c/idcg/issues/17
LW: W3 team has added editorial guidance to PubRules around the use of pronouns.
… EO has shared its guidance, which is to use proper names and not use pronouns.
Barb: Intel has creatd an industry awareness website.
… We wanted to be proactive.
<Barb_H> Intel Inclusive Language - https://intel.sharepoint.com/sites/InclusiveLanguage/SitePages/Industry-Awareness.aspx
Tess: A lot of the EO guidance is good.
… Some things could be improved.
<hober> current wording: "Using "he or she" addresses many issues, yet not that of people who do not want to be referred to as either "he" or "she"."
<hober> suggested wording: "Do not refer to people as "he or she", because that is not inclusive of non-binary people or others who prefer different pronouns."
Tess: the guidance says to generally avoid using pronouns unless for exceptions.
… One way to be subtley uninclusive could be to avoid using any pronoun instead of a person's preferred pronouns.
… I understand the reasoning but think it is nuanced.
… It says avoid using singular "they" because it's difficult language.
… It's been part of English since the time of Chaucer, so not sure this is the case.
Barb: Intel advised using words like colleague or participant.
Tess: Good idea.
… avoiding gendered words like "businessman" for example.
<Barb_H> Source https://www.mypronouns.org/resources
Wendy: +1 to Tess.
… Learning new language is hard but we do it all the time.
Léonie: +1 to Tess and Wendy.
Barb: Intel reference an organisation that may be able to help.
Diversity fund update
Coralie: I'm happy with the amount pledged that is pretty similar to last year's (roughly 14K)
<chaals> [+1 WBS is probably not ideal…]
Wendy: application process?
Coralie: we usually time applications with TPAC registration
… this is delayed to September 8
… we need a WBS form, form the committee
Wendy: we need to sort out how/when we can give fund on hand
Léonie: perhaps we can give them money before people make the purchase
… this would fix the problem of people being out of pocket, and W3C fulfilling
<Zakim> chaals, you wanted to suggest we ask for email applications - maintaining the criteria that we're not going to be judging on written english but the meaning of the content in the application
chaals: WBS is clunky if you're not used to it
… asking for a basic message "this is what I want and what I'm going to do" on wechat whatsapp or else
… we want to make it easy
… we also need to reinforce that we are not going to judge how the requests are phrased
… We could ask for an e-mail link that verify expense
… because bank transfers are not cheap
… or making a payment through Amazon is fairly straight forward
WendyR: I just remembered that we may need to do more for people who don't have credit card or paypal
Léonie: or reach out to someone in the community who's able to act as intermediary and help
chaals: if you don't have a credit card and have an address, people know what services to use
Léonie: the next step is to set us up
Coralie: I take the action
Wendy: we laid out the same criteria as last year
… Coralie, if you draft something, I'm happy to review
chaals: we need to make sure applicants include how much money they need
Barb: is this only for TPAC?
… the reason I ask is we have a very successful ML workshop
… in the future, could other venues or events leverage the diversity fund?
<chaals> [I am most interested in looking at how we leverage the experience of the diversity fund to cover particpation in a wider range of activities…]
Léonie: my immediate reaction with chair hat off is that it would be a good idea
… perhaps if there's left-over fund
chaals: I'm especially interested in this
… it's a very important exercise and I have actually secured a (sofar small) funding commitment if we can make it work
ERB update
Tess: No news
PubRules guidance on gender identity
Feedback about the proposed BLM statement
Léonie: Review ends at midnight Eastern Time tonight
… WendyR has a summary
WendyR: one comment about suggesting we condone "violence", another was the suggestion that 'all lives matter' as a reason not to support a statement particularly about black lives, and third which I find is the most valid was whether ours was a marketing message as there's been a lot already
<chaals> [I suspect going slowly actually reinforces the message that this is about being serious, rather than just leaping on a marketing bandwagon]
WendyR: with regard to rewriting, I have not done yet proposed anything
… regarding "violence"
WendyR: Many organisations have pointed out that they don't like violence, and while it has occurred, we hope that solving the systemic problems like racism will actually lead to a reduction in violence which we would like to see
Léonie: Is there anymore we can or should do beyond including the list of actions
… to reinforce this is not a marketing statement
WendyR: I don't think so
… A few had wording suggestions, we can look at those
Barb: you may want to double check what other people have done
… Grace Hopper put a statement that is anti-violence and anti-racism
… on the actions, I reviewed with upper management
… if you put yourself in the [shoes] of your audience, you can review whether your wording works
… I'll post the link to the Linux Foundation
Vagner: I saw comments that the time to make a statement has passed already
… do we concur?
… should we change anything in the statement?
<Barb_H> Linux Foundation program link in their statement - https://www.linuxfoundation.org/about/diversity-inclusiveness/programs/
Léonie: two thoughts on timeliness
… a global brand started their statement by saying they took time to do their research before they published their statement
… it was a good rationale
<Barb_H> Grace Hopper - https://www.gracehopper.com/blog/fullstack-stands-with-the-black-lives-matter-movement
Léonie: my other thought: what is really hard is momentum
… that can be helpful to support us
… I think it's still valuable for us to respond
<wendyreid> +1
<Barb_H> Grace Hopper - Anti racism, Anti violence message
<chaals> [+1 to Léonie]]
<koalie> +1
<Barb_H> +1
Scheduling a virtual TPAC meeting with the PWE CG
Léonie: we've been planning a joing meeting with the PWE CG during TPAC
… since both meet at 2pm UTC on Tuesdays, we want to meet on October 13
… <heads-up />
next meeting
Léonie: in two weeks at 2pm UTC
… thanks everyone
… let's keep working away at these things