On Dec 7, 2012, at 12:59 PM, Joshua Gomez <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Others have mentioned they fear that a subgroup will only decrease the
> diversity within code4lib by pulling women away from it and into the new
> group.  This was my initial concern as well, but when I look at other kinds
> of women in tech groups I realize that they don't decrease women's
> participation in mainstream groups. In fact they help boost women's
> profiles and skill sets, thus increasing their likelihood of participating
> in mainstream groups.

Well said, Joshua. Any separate women in technology groups I've been involved with (e.g., devchix, grrlswithmodems back in the day) have been what you describe here. These groups are supplementary, and create a place to get support if one needs help navigating mainstream (and yes, male-dominated) communities. 

Bess