And no, I’m not ready to throw out the list over one repeated bit of nonsense. Never have been.

I can certainly understand the reasons for not going to Code4lib that you gave and I’m glad it’s not due to some of the reason’s I’ve heard other people give to not attending.

Meanwhile, here’s to hoping web4lib still averages out to the pretty decent list it’s been in the past .

That’s what happens when you (well, when I) post while upset.

The fact that I’m not a Code4Lib person and not likely to become one has nothing, zero, zilch to do with the nonsense from a third party (who, I assumed from the start, was not a Code4Lib person).

Code4Lib people appear to be doing the right thing with the two scholarships. My applause.

The reason I’m not a Code4Lib person is (a) I’ve never attended, (b) over the last few years, I’ve been a lot less involved in actual coding–in tech at that level–than I was, say, from 1968 through 2000 or so, (c) when I was on the list or at least viewed postings, it was at a level probably appropriate for the name but one where I couldn’t contribute much of anything (or even necessarily understand the conversation).

The key phrase that probably confused you–and I can see why it would–is “am really not likely to be now.”

Which is to say: I’m really out of the systems game entirely at this point. I’m mostly writing, editing and investigating. It’s me–it’s not Code4Lib.

Yes, I’m still a Web4Lib subscriber–because a lot of what I do concerns use of the web in libraries, but not at a coding level.

Apologies for the ambiguity.

I took it somewhat personally probably because I’ve stepped up to try to be a chair of the social activities. Really a chance to try to help organize the social activities this year more than anything. The said happy hour is something provided by the hotel, not by the conference. I’m a happily married man and plans for social activities at the conference certainly don’t come near what was implied. Members of code4lib were insulted and derided as well as just women in general.

Indeed, my job of organizing social events is off to a great start, mainly due to the efforts of other people who who have stepped up to the plate. Excellent help has come from both women and men. (I make no claims on matter of minorities as I have not met them all in person). It would be a great loss if any of them left over this.

a) Aren’t on the code4lib mailing list or have ever had much interaction with the community. (Stab in the dark, but if they were I’d imagine they would have responded on that list, not web4lib).

b) Haven’t been to a code4lib conference. I haven’t double-checked the attendance list for 2006, but I did for 2007 and they’re not on it. Given their relative lack of involvement on other fronts I can only hope that they’re not interested in attending.

c) Are deriding and making fun of efforts that are coming from people who have been involved with the conference and are taking purposeful steps to try to address the issue that some in the community have seen the previous conferences as uninviting.

I probably should just keep out of this whole mess. But what sadness me is that the only way that people involved with code4lib could have avoided this would have been not to offer these scholarships. I can’t imagine that these people would have responded differently to the same type of announcement coming from another group of people in an attempt to encourage diversity in LITA or similar.

I guess I want to ask, are you planning on staying a “Web4lib” person, whatever that would mean?