The Systers Mailing List

Through reading anecdotes and statistics which illustrate the loneliness and unease that many female computer scientists feel, it is no wonder that an increasing amount of women are searching online for more welcoming environments. Unfortunately, many newsgroups and mailing lists only cement suspicions of discrimination and sexism on the Internet; women, especially those with feminist viewpoints, are often flamed and attacked on newsgroups, making any discussion next to impossible. In an attempt to foster more productive discussions in a welcoming environment, women are turning to female-only venues to discuss issues and vent their frustrations.

The most prevalent women-only email list and support group in the world today is called Systers. It was founded in 1987 by Dr. Anita Borg, who is currently a member of the research staff at Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center. Borg agrees with Alison Adam's philosophy towards "Women Into" programs -- they are useless without the active participation of both the men and the women already involved in the field. "In particular," Borg writes, "there must be ongoing and productive communication throughout the field concerning the unique problems that women face when they enter the field and as they progress and advance." (122). This need for communication among women in computer science serves as the basic mission statement for Systers. It is an unmoderated but strictly guided list, with over 2500 members from 25 different countries. Systers limits its membership to women in the computer field; to sign up for the list, a future subscriber must email the administrator, stating that she is a female and will respect the guidelines for the group. There is also a student version of the mailing list, called "Systers-Students," currently maintained by Amy McGovern at the University of Massachusetts, which maintains the same standards and rules as Systers. Once a member of either list, the subscriber may choose to customize her "profile," which regulates the email that she will receive from the group. Many women opt only to receive postings relevant to a certain topic, job openings, or announcements of upcoming conferences and events; other women participate fully in the many discussions fostered by Systers.

While many women embrace the all-women atmosphere of Systers, there have been a number of complaints of reverse discrimination against the group. Since women are largely the minority in the computer field, they have very little opportunity to physically contact one another for such discussions; a female-only mailing list such as Systers offers women in computing the chance to meet one another and discuss common issues and concerns. In her essay, Borg lists three main points as supporting arguments for keeping Systers exclusively female.

First, she says, women need female role models and mentors. Women are more likely to seek one another out for guidance after exposure to other women's opinions, project ideas, and successes without "the perception of help or input from men." (123-4). This idea of mentoring is often mentioned as a possible method of relieving the discomfort and insecurity that many women feel in the computer field. Ellen Spertus' report from 1991 quotes one study that found that "[female] graduate students who identified female professors as role models viewed themselves as more career-oriented, confident, and instrumental than did female students identifying male role models." (Qtd in Spertus "Recommendations" 3). Similarly, women students in fields with predominately female professors often have a greater sense of self-confidence in their work, and receive more personalized positive feedback than women with predominantly male professors.

Borg's next argument for Systers's exclusiveness is that women need a place to discuss pertinent issues. A frequent problem in non-gender exclusive media, such as newsgroups, is that the participants spend more time explaining an issue or problem than discussing possible solutions. Women participants in these groups often report that some men don't believe that certain issues are problems in need of solutions and will therefore insult or belittle the woman who started the discussion. Sometimes this reaction is merely in the form of a "flame"; other times, it can involve harassment or actual danger to the woman involved. Stephanie Blair recounts a story about a young woman's post to a Usenet newsgroup that referred to a feminist 'zine, or underground publication, called "Riot Grrls." "At the mention of the Riot Grrls," Blair writes, "some of the men in the group started posting vehemently in protest. They didn't want to talk about those stupid girl bands; the girls couldn't play anyway. Someone suggested that the young woman start her own newsgroup called 'alt.grrl.dumbcunts.'" (144). It is obvious that this atmosphere is not conducive to discussion, and it is likely that the young woman who posted the original message received none of the information she was seeking. Another example comes from a college senior who writes:

I've received more 'wanna fucks'...and 'shut up bitch' mail than I care to count. I've posted to alt.feminism and had men posting me back screamingly hateful email calling me everything from a lesbian to a whore. One man told me that as a woman "you have so little to complain about in real life that you stay on the net all day whining about how bad things are." (Qtd in Blair 151-2).

While not all non-gender-exclusive newsgroups and mailing lists include such sexist behavior, enough negativity still exists towards women on the Internet that the Systers' women-only rule often seems a refreshing change of pace.

The third explanation that Borg gives for Systers's gender exclusion is that women need to discover their own voice. She states that men, however well-meaning, tend to dominate discussion and insert their own voice into female issues. A woman will often bring up a frustration in order to vent her feelings or to receive validity for her anger; men frequently interpret this as whining, or will assume that the woman is seeking advice from him. Borg states that women can discuss their issues and concerns more openly and more coherently within a gender-exclusive environment. Systers is very non-apologetic for being exclusive; "It is not the reluctance of women nor our participation in forums like Systers that limits communication and joint problem solving with men," Borg explains. "It is the sexism in our society, our field, and our consciousness that limits us all". (125).

In conclusion, the Systers mailing list is one specific example of how women are attempting to make the Internet a more welcoming place for themselves. Its members see it as both a support network and a discussion forum; its female-only nature makes women feel more comfortable in sharing personal opinions and experiences. While some complain that keeping Systers female-only is an example of reverse gender discrimination, founder Dr. Anita Borg gives solid arguments in favor of the current setup, and most members seem to agree that keeping Systers gender-exclusive is the best way to preserve its current welcoming atmosphere.

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