Twitter Gone Wrong: How Constructive Dialog and Collaboration Enable Innovation

• Published in: Computing in science & engineering Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 97 - 101
• Main Authors: Frehill, Lisa M., Leung, Mary Ann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.01.2021; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Blogs; Collaboration; Gender issues; Social networking (online); Technological innovation
• ISSN: 1521-9615; 1558-366X
• DOI: 10.1109/MCSE.2020.3043153

We use the recent example of NumPy, an open source numerical library, to explore encouraging open constructive dialog as foundational for innovation. We describe the various social forces that explain how it is possible for an article with 26 authors in 2020 to be published with no women coauthors. While we use this article to illustrate various points, it is important to state that we do not vilify individuals or cast blame; by definition, social forces are forces outside ourselves. However, we can overcome challenges associated with social forces, so we conclude by discussing the importance of relative numbers and how teams might engage in more proactive strategies to enhance their inclusion of diverse voices in the innovation process and, as a bonus, to avoid Twitter storms.