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At work

Two women mentioned problems at work with ``wallpaper'' backgrounds in graphical user interfaces: ``My colleagues just don't get it - why I'm uncomfortable with seminude Windows displays.'' In a similar vein, another said, ``I'm fed up with the alias `gradstuds' on the network, and nongender-neutral language. This kind of politics saps my energy away from my research.''

One professor described a contentious work environment. When she disagreed with some of her male colleagues, they told her she doesn't know how to be a wife or a professor. She believes they would never talk to her like that if she were male, or shout at her as they have. Taking any disagreement with a woman very personally, they get angry easily.


ellens@ai.mit.edu
Wed Apr 6 14:30:07 EDT 1994