MetaTalk

Hi all, this is a message from MetaFilter’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) board. In the interest of highlighting and growing the global perspective here on our little corner of the web, we want to encourage BIPOC members to post a bit more to the site. So we’re going to use this second week of November to encourage members who don’t consider themselves Western world natives (Diasporic BIPOC welcome here) to make a post or two about their culture. [more inside]
posted by Brandon Blatcher on Nov 13, 2024 - 104 comments

Relatively small request: Can we change the text above the Tags field when making new posts so that it encourages using CamelCase when combining multiple words into one tag, to help members with visual impairments who use screenreaders? For instance, changing the example in the text "searchengine" to "SearchEngine"? This will help screenreading software better parse the meaning of the tag. [more inside]
posted by mediareport on Jun 30, 2023 - 43 comments

This thread is continuing conversations about disability/ableism both on and off the site. It is a space for people affected by ableism to converse. You get to decide if that applies to you; if you're unsure or questioning, your contributions are welcome. This thread is for everyone to read, but mostly for disabled people to participate in. [more inside]
posted by brook horse on Mar 12, 2020 - 36 comments

Like previous MeTas, this thread is a space for people affected by ableism to converse, about experiences on and off the site. We're trying to make this a space relatively free of pressure from people who AREN'T hurt by ableism. You get to decide whether ableism affects you. This thread is for everyone to read and for disabled people to (mostly) participate in. [more inside]
posted by brainwane on Jan 21, 2020 - 136 comments

Just as in previous MeTas, this thread is a conversational space for disabled folks and other folks affected by ableism to talk about their experiences on the site. You get to decide whether ableism affects you -- this is not a space focused on gatekeeping. That said, this thread is for everyone to read and for disabled people to (mostly) participate in. [more inside]
posted by sciatrix on Dec 6, 2019 - 49 comments

This thread is a place for us to explain what ableism is (explaining two models of disability and some other useful concepts), and provide a place for people affected by ableism to talk to one another in a space relatively free of pressure from people who are not impacted by that. You get to decide whether ableism affects you -- this thread is for everyone to read and for disabled people to (mostly) participate in. It is okay and highly encouraged for people to talk about themselves and their own experiences, but less so to talk about other people's imagined experiences. [more inside]
posted by sciatrix on Sep 1, 2019 - 76 comments

A fifty minute interview with Jessamyn, interviewed by Lauren Sergy. Topics include why Jessamyn went to library school, diversity, employment in the library sector, pay equality, technology, and other aspects of being a contemporary librarian.
posted by Wordshore on Sep 15, 2017 - 10 comments

As the call for a Women's March MeTa has gone dead, I figured here might be a good space for brainstorming topics, asking for help crafting FPPs, and talking about what makes a good FPP. Women are particularly welcome to come and post and look for support here. [more inside]
posted by sciatrix on Mar 6, 2017 - 37 comments

Not the actual physical Women's March on Washington--the MeFi traditional version of a month where we encourage women to make front page posts to the Blue, especially first time posters. More on that if you aren't familiar under the cut. It's occurred to me that we have a whole lotta focus on politics right now, in part because pretty much everyone with ties to the USA and a lot of people who don't are currently terrified of fascists. Consequently, the politics megathreads are taking up a lot of energy and attention. I miss this site having a lot of interesting front page posts so that I can take breaks and do things besides endless screaming sometimes here, too. And I remember our MonthByWomen events as being a great effort for womens' solidarity, as well as a really good way to get more voices bringing up lots of interesting and useful topics. Is anyone else interested in holding another WomensMarch here on MeFi? [more inside]
posted by sciatrix on Feb 3, 2017 - 49 comments

Many folks are distressed over the way the school administration and police in Irving, TX reacted when a 14-year-old student of Sudanese Muslim parentage brought a homemade clock to school, and wish there was something they could do about it. How about a Kickstarter to collect a STEM college fund for Ahmed? [more inside]
posted by escape from the potato planet on Sep 16, 2015 - 66 comments

I remember seeing a comment on MetaFilter some years ago, about how letting more women into a social science field led to more discoveries, not simply because of a "more heads = better" effect, but because the women actually found new knowledge by studying a traditionally feminine activity that the men had completely overlooked. I'd love to use this example in advocating for diversity in academia; the only problem is that I simply can't find it any more. [more inside]
posted by a car full of lions on May 20, 2015 - 30 comments

After this comment by an 82 year old in Ask, it got me thinking about the diversity of the site. I'm interested in people who do not fit the common demographic of white, 20-50 years old, Western, IT/humanities/sciences, more likely to be male. Do these people feel comfortable here? How can we encourage more diverse people to post? Or am I off-base and things are just fine?
posted by desjardins on Mar 6, 2012 - 623 comments

This post is cool, not just because of the answers, but more even more because it shows how very diverse the membership of Metafilter is. [more inside]
posted by ShawnString on Mar 28, 2008 - 43 comments