[Python-cuba] Going forwards

Thu Jun 25 22:08:33 CEST 2015

Hello everybody,

I rarely engage messages when the supporting evidence is ambiguous or just
plain false to avoid escalation. But after careful consideration of this
defamation emails against me, and a meeting with my lawyers, I decided to
answer this message sent by "Josephine Garcia" (and I use " " because this
name may be an alias or not and I have no knowledge of who might be this
person).

It is unfortunate that in the initiative to make Python Cuba there are
people who are trying to divide more than unite. I find it interesting that
this person uses unfounded arguments to supposedly justify her accusations
against me. This person also uses group coercion to have me avoid exposing
my points of view on accusations about me: "silently left the group"
"having this person on board will send the wrong message, that we and the
PSF support his actions."

1) Allegation of harassment: I was being labeled a harasser by a tool which
equated twitter subscription to harassment. I criticized the logic of the
algorithm. Pretty much everybody agreed with my assertion, even The Mary
Sue, a feminist blog (
http://www.themarysue.com/twitter-users-mad-about-gamergate-block-bots/).
Even after all this, I extended an olive branch and publicly apologized for
my wording (https://twitter.com/siloraptor/status/536255070086893568), the
reaction to my apology left much to be desired and shows the extension of
the treatment to which I am subjected daily.

1a) In reaction to the shortcomings of IGDA’s tool, I started creating a
FOSS case management tool which could be used too to help document
harassment (http://blog.robertorosario.com/imperfect-tools/) (
https://github.com/Cleisthenes/cleisthenes). It didn't matter that my
original intent was helping social services, the attacks and harassment I
received for being a man proposing such a tools which technologically
undermined the previous one built by a woman forced to abandon the project.

2) "entire chapters of initiatives have been dissolved." Since it is not
mentioned which initiatives, I'm going to assume this is about the IGDA
Puerto Rico chapter. I was chairman of the chapter and neither myself nor
any member of the board has even publicized the reasons of the closure in
an official manner. It is very irresponsible to pass personal opinions as
fact.

3) Harassment of women: This can’t be more false as I actively promote the
inclusion of women in technology, giving money, making them t-shirts,
giving them my time and promoting them and their events. (
https://twitter.com/siloraptor/status/553604723144925184) (
http://ccom.uprrp.edu/actividades/Crypto-flyer.png) (
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/python-django-workshop-tickets-9132677083) (
http://ccom.uprrp.edu/actividades/practical.jpg)
(http://ccom.uprrp.edu/activity_info.php?aid=80) (
http://aldia.microjuris.com/2013/10/07/ciclo-de-conferencias-sobre-criptografia/)
(https://www.patreon.com/siloraptor?pat=1)

I choose several members of the <include> Girls group for first government
technology internship at the Office Of Management and Budget working on
projects for the Governor of Puerto Rico and they have gone on to do great
things.

5) I canceled my participation in DjangoCon EU due to economic and health
issues. Daniele Procida can attest to this. My wife and myself are personal
friends of Daniele (https://twitter.com/siloraptor/status/508491655297515521)
(https://twitter.com/siloraptor/status/506913013144625152) (
https://twitter.com/siloraptor/status/508092355673485312/photo/1) lying
about his supposed actions as organizer of DjangoCOn EU is an offense to
all.

6) Gamergate: The links you provide don't prove any of your assertions.

6a) RationalWiki: The archived talk page about the article shows my
representation on the article to be the work of an user by the name Ryulong
(http://archive.is/ACBf5#selection-795.49-803.27) whose edits have been
reverse time and again: "I have also removed a similarly misleading and
unsourced portion, "Rosario blamed feminism". I don't know where you're
getting your info, but this is the third misrepresentation I have removed
from this article.--Naqoyqatsi (talk) 16:13, 14 May 2015 (UTC)" This is the
same Ryulong, a wikipedian banned from Wikipedia, exactly for this (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ryulong)

6b) Chris von Csefalvay’s graph only show I was one of the persons being
retweeted by people related to the gamergate movement.

6c) The Newsweek article doesn't say anything or prove anything about me
being a leader or even a member of gamergate.

7) In regards to Jefferson, I'm in shock, I do not understand how this
person dares to say he was the victim of harassment on my part. Jefferson
and I worked in various communities together until he moved from Puerto
Rico to pursue graduate studies. Since he left Puerto Rico I have not seen
him, but from what I've heard, he is doing well. I agree Jefferson would be
a good candidate to have onboard, I personally know him. My wife and myself
have helped him in the past to gain exposition to his projects at our
events: (http://www.slideshare.net/siloraptor/final-metapiano) (
http://www.piloto151.com/betabeers-san-juan-launches-in-piloto-151/) and
I'm too featured in his projects (https://vimeo.com/68919925)

8) Interestingly, Josephine García did not mention on her email that my
family was harassed, that someone published a photo that was private of me
with my son, a minor, and my wife, that someone published private
information about my family with said picture, that I have been called “cunt”,
“harasser”, “scum”, and so on without proof on a daily basis. The stress
from the witch hunts to which I am subjected and seeing my work tarnished
without proof have cause health problems not the least my last visit to the
emergency room with a cardiac event.

It is unfortunate that when one wants to do things to encourage and foster
the community we allow individuals who manipulate information just to
create division and drama. In the initiative to make Python Cuba we can’t
take seriously, unfounded accusations from people who are trying to divide
more than unite. I hope this email leaves everything clear and we can
continue working in the same direction to make PyCon Cuba a reality. That
being said, I am willing to leave the group if I am not wanted here, but I
will not leave the group because of lies about me. I am willing to leave
the group so that the possibilities of a PyCon in Cuba are not affected. I
await your responses, be public or made in private via my email. If
contacted privately via email, I will not disclose your position on the
matter be it in favor or against my continued presence in this group.

Best regards,

--Roberto

On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 3:18 PM, kirby urner <kirby.urner at gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 10:55 AM, Steve Holden <steve at holdenweb.com>
> wrote:
>
> << SNIP >>
>
>
>> I wrote this reply, however, simply to assure you that at least some
>> people do regard this as a potentially serious issue. Sorry of you feel
>> your claims were being taken too lightly. (and I have no idea what David
>> Mertz's message had to do with the discussion, but I imagine he will be
>> able to explain).
>>
>> regards
>>  Steve
>>
>
>
> Thanks Steve.  I could be wrong but I don't think any members of this WG
> are board members, I stand to be corrected.
>
> If I were super concerned about a specific member of a Python.org
> listserv, e.g. Diversity, I would probably find someone on the Board to
> complain to but I'm not sure which one.  I did some reading but it didn't
> seem Cuba-related and then the phone rang etc.
>
> Kirby
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Python-cuba mailing list
> Python-cuba at python.org
> https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-cuba
>
>
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