Re: [93attendees] I was wondering...

[Barry Leiba <[e-mail]>]

One point here needs to be stressed, I think.

Vasily,

> It is an attempt to enforce a dress code.

It is not.

> If some persons with university degrees want to wear used underwear only,
> then other persons with university degree should have a right to wear
> mini-skirts.

It has nothing to do with whether they have university degrees.  It
has to do with their roles -- why they were there.

It doesn't matter what we wear when we're participating in IETF discussions.

> I could discuss SDN switch architecture even with a nude girl (being
> bothered for her not to get cold, though ;) )

Sure... as I said, participating in IETF discussions.

But...

Many of us find it offensive and inappropriate when a company puts
people out there solely to attract attention, and not to actually
participate in the IETF.  That's the first thing.

> I am greatly disappointed with all this fuss, which means from my point of
> view, that there are some unsufficient load with the current brain extensive
> work for IETF participants, that they raise clothes questions and waste so
> much time and effort for that.

The second thing brings us to the reason that the appearance of these
women mattered.  We wouldn't like it if they were dressed just like
everyone else, but were overtly doing sales and marketing, as that's
not what this was supposed to be about.  The people staffing the B&B
tables are supposed to be supporting the technical display and
explanations.  But having sales/marketing people, in itself, would
have only caused mild grumbling.

The fact that they appeared to be there as *decoration* was what made
it really offensive.

And the fact that they were women in short, tight dresses (and, I
note, ones whose design made it clear that they were specifically
given these dresses to wear at the event; it wasn't their choice of
wardrobe) made it particularly offensive because of the message that
sends about the role of women at the IETF -- a message that I
certainly don't support, and that I think very many of us don't
support (as has been made clear by this discussion).

Vasily, please don't dismiss the very real offense that many of us
have taken from this (and I thank Ondřej for his comments on this
matter).  It's OK if you were not offended by it.  Understand that
many of us were, and quite deeply so.  It's not that we're wasting
brain power by talking about this.  It's that this is a very emotional
issue for many.  Please understand that, and take it seriously.

Thanks.

Barry