That is unfortunate. It reduces these Workshops to useless displays of virtue signaling and mediocre science. I will not comment further. I'll have to invoke Mark Twain when he said " "Never argue with a pig. It just frustrates you and irritates the pig." Jim Kress -----Original Message-----

Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2019 12:43 PM To: Kress, Jim <jimkress35{:}gmail.com> Subject: CCL: 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry Sent to CCL by: Shahar Keinan [skeinan###gmail.com] I agree with Kathrin here, it is the role of the organizers to make sure that they have a balanced conference. And it is the role of the community to call them out when they fail to do so. Shahar On 12/18/19 9:30 AM, zborowsk zborowsk,chemia.uj.edu.pl wrote:

Sent to CCL by: Kathrin Helen Hopmann [kathrin.hopmann..uit.no] Dear Organizers of the 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry, I am sorry that I may have miscounted, it seems there is 1 female speaker among the 19 confirmed invited speakers (perhaps I have misinterpreted some of the other name and there are more?). I know it is not easy for conference organizers to ensure a gender-balanced program. But we need to talk about this problem sometimes, so that we can find out how we can improve things. with best regards, Kathrin Hopmann

Sent: onsdag 18. desember 2019 11:27 To: 'CCL Subscribers' <chemistry^ccl.net> Subject: RE: CCL: 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry Dear Organizers of the 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry, I counted 19 confirmed invited speakers on your website. Sadly, not a single of these seems to be a woman. with best regards Kathrin Hopmann -----Original Message-----

Sent: onsdag 18. desember 2019 06:47 To: Kathrin Helen Hopmann <kathrin.hopmann^uit.no> Subject: CCL: 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry Sent to CCL by: "Francois Berenger" [mlists- -ligand.eu] Registration for the 8th French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in Chemistry (FJCMC2020) is open! Please consider joining us March 19th and 20th 2020 at Kumamoto university (Japan). We will be lucky to have presentations by many prestigious speakers: http://www.chem.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/~frjp2020/invited-speakers.html More information can be found at: http://www.chem.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/~frjp2020/index.html The registration page is: http://www.chem.kumamoto-u.ac.jp/~frjp2020/registration.html We are looking forward to meet you in Kumamoto, The organizers.http://www.ccl.net/cgi-bin/ccl/send_ccl_messagehttp://www. ccl.net/chemistry/sub_unsub.shtmlhttp://www.ccl.net/spammers.txt>>> Conferences: http://server.ccl.net/chemistry/announcements/conferences/--

Krzysztof K. Zborowski Faculty of Chemistry Jagiellonian University in Krakow 2 Gronostajowa Street 30-387 Krakow Poland email: zborowsk-#-chemia.uj.edu.plConferences: http://server.ccl.net/chemistry/announcements/conferences/> >

-- ----------------- Shahar Keinan (919)-357-5319http://www.ccl.net/cgi-bin/ccl/send_ccl_messagehttp://www.ccl.net/chemistry/sub_unsub.shtmlhttp://www.ccl.net/spammers.txtE-mail to subscribers: CHEMISTRY!^!ccl.net or use: http://www.ccl.net/cgi-bin/ccl/send_ccl_message E-mail to administrators: CHEMISTRY-REQUEST!^!ccl.net or use http://www.ccl.net/cgi-bin/ccl/send_ccl_messagehttp://www.ccl.net/chemistry/sub_unsub.shtml Before posting, check wait time at: http://www.ccl.net Job: http://www.ccl.net/jobs Conferences: http://server.ccl.net/chemistry/announcements/conferences/ Search Messages: http://www.ccl.net/chemistry/searchccl/index.shtmlhttp://www.ccl.net/spammers.txt RTFI: http://www.ccl.net/chemistry/aboutccl/instructions/

Hello all, =

I qualify for the = =E2=80=98older=E2=80=99 club since I once had ordered 9-track tapes from = QCPE and have been on CCL essentially from the beginning but for the = most part am a silent observer here now. With that background I have to = acknowledge the history of comp chem resembling much of chemistry at = that time in that it was large majority male. That has changed a lot and = brought a richness of ideas and discussion along which can only be good = for the field and science in general. Any bad actors don=E2=80=99t = indict the group.

That shift does not mean = there are no problems. Equally importantly, problems do not have to have = clear cut solutions. In fact the lack of simple solutions makes it easy = to ignore the problems or even not see them as problems. As was implied, = metrics and merit are complicated. They do have importance and they do = reflect historic norms. They deserve respect since our respect for those = on whose shoulders we all stand is linked in part to how we got here. = But it is tempting to view them as simple hard filters: life is more = complicated. As was pointed out, merit and ego do a dangerous = dance.

I encourage one and all to = propose solutions in the spirit of decoupling ego and accepting that = others see a problem.

Maybe that is what we used = to call civility.

Dominic = Ryan

From: = owner-chemistry+m.dominic.ryan=3D=3Dgmail.com++ccl.net = <owner-chemistry+m.dominic.ryan=3D=3Dgmail.com++ccl.net> On = Behalf Of Robert Molt = r.molt.chemical.physics+*+gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, December = 19, 2019 7:03 AM
To: Ryan, M Dominic = <m.dominic.ryan++gmail.com>
Subject: CCL: 8th = French-Japanese Workshop on Computational Methods in = Chemistry

Let us = consider civility.

a.) If someone espouses a position which is sexist, it = is more constructive to attack the position than the = person. Making ad hominem attacks serves neither the cause of = eliminating inequality nor does it promote civility. When they go low, = we go high, to quote a former American President who embodied = dignity.

b.) I have seen little in the way of constructive = solutions, merely blame assigned. The right thing to do is to name the = organizers of the conference, ask them to please respond to why there is = a dearth of women to speak at the conference. Let them represent = themselves, ask a direct question. Ask what actions they intend to do to = resolve the matter, given that they agree a problem = exists.

c.) It is most certainly not OK to use terms like = "the Angry Old White Man meltdowns.=E2=80=9D This is as vile the = (seeming*) sexism which began this discussion. If it is not OK to say = =E2=80=9Cthe angry old black man meltdown,=E2=80=9D it is not OK to say = =E2=80=9Cthe angry old white man meltdown.=E2=80=9D If there is a = substantive complaint, attack the position; ad hominem attacks based on = race are not OK.

I = thus ask Drs. Sugimoto and Berenger, as well as any other = managers of the conference:

1.) Did the initial invitation list include female = invitees? Did they decline? If so, can you provide names of people whom = you invited?

2.) Given the observed gender disparity, do you agree = that there are qualified women who can speak? Can you send out = invitations to rectify the problem quickly?

3.) I want to thank you for organizing the conference. = Organizing a conference is very hard work, and one is clearly throwing = oneself into the danger zone to do so. Promoting science is a valuable = enterprise unto itself.

*I say =E2=80=9Cseeming=E2=80=9D because I think it is = inappropriate to levy an accusation without letting the accused respond. = Innocent until proven guilty.