A Bug's Life

I think it's the scale that is the issue. You go to join in, expecting people to be developing software with a semi-professional attitude, and get not one but several people flaming you and commenting on aspects of you that are nothing to do with the project. I'm used to a work environment where that is not acceptable, and a lot of legislation and education has been targetted at stopping this. You can ignore one bully but not most of the rest of the office joining in and jeering at you.

I've not been a member of the communities discussed in the paper, but in similar situations I have sometimes given up, as my presence is unwelcome there, and gone to play with my dolls.

But now? Some anecdotes I've heard of the sort of abuse on these lists is shocking, and I would not want to watch them escalate while I tried to stop caring.

"Ignore the bullies and they'll go away" didn't work when my Mum suggested it in school, and I don't suppose it'd work now.