[net.women] Going overboard, being basically hateful

oaf@mit-vax.UUCP (Oded Feingold) (03/19/86)

In article <224@umcp-cs.UUCP> aleksand@umcp-cs.UUCP (Richard Aleksandr) writes:
>
>	I wish to apologize for my strongly-worded reply to the arcticle
>on "Female dominance", and any offense I may have caused. 
>
>	Please note that the posting was my own opinion and does not reflect
>the views of the University of Maryland Computer Science Dept.
>
>					R.A. 

He does not disavow his posting, merely:
		     ------------------------------
	1.  Any offense he "may" have caused.
		Since  the purpose of the original posting was to
		cause offense, such a disclaimer is  disingenuous
		on the face of it.

	2.  Any complicity on the part of the UMd Computer Science 
	Department.
		Since no rational member of that department would
		publicize  such fantasies  this  disclaimer is at
		best redundant.  It says nothing worth noting.

In particular, he still claims those opinions as his own.  Apparently he
sees   nothing   unhealthy  in  his  attitudes  -  just  an  unfortunate
entanglement on an abstruse point of network politeness.

I  see  no  reason  not to retransmit that and preceding messages of Mr.
Aleksandr's to the University of Maryland medical  department,  whatever
dean's  office  deals with student life and headquarters of the Computer
Science department.  The faculty he asks for recommendations should know
something  about  the person with whom they're dealing, and those people
responsible  for  education  at  UMd  should  take  a  measure  of   the
psychological  qualities attendant upon (requisite to?)  being a student
there.  So should potential employers, and the student body:  A woman at
UMd  might  appreciate such insight before she put herself in his power,
like on a date in his car.

Looking at his /etc/passwd entry, I notice he has  an  office.   At  MIT
most  people  with offices are graduate students.  If he is one, I think
there are serious doubts regarding his appropriateness as a TA  for  any
students, let alone a class containing women.

Comments?   [My fuse is already burning.]
-- 
----------
Oded Feingold     MIT AI Lab.   545 Tech Square    Cambridge, Mass. 02139
OAF%OZ@MIT-MC.ARPA   {harvard, ihnp4!mit-eddie}!mit-vax!oaf  617-253-8598