[clug] Open Source Software's Dirty Little Secret

[Jeff]

On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:41:12 +1000
Jacinta Richardson <jarich at perltraining.com.au> wrote:

Not that I really want to get into this "discussion", but...
> 
> You *can* make FOSS a more fun place for the women who are already
> involved and for those who have the skills (or who want to develop
> them) to get involved. Making FOSS a more fun place for women should
> make it more fun for men too. There are lots of men who aren't
> involved in FOSS for similar reasons to the women; they find it
> exclusionary, cliquey, they don't like to be flamed for trying to
> learn, they don't want to dedicate 40 hours a week to a project but
> would rather be a more casual contributor...  There are lots of men
> in FOSS who stay despite disliking many of those characteristics.

I think you have hit the nail on the head here Jacinta.  To a certain extend, we shouldn't be worried about making FOSS more inviting to Women, but more inviting.  As you have pointed out, there are men out there that don't get into FOSS, for the exact same reasons as we're claiming women don't.  So if we make it a more inviting area as a whole, then it should naturally start to attract those women and men that want to become involved but don't due to the reasons stated, and it should then be a more enjoyable experience for all.

> 
> Using inclusive language, inviting and then encouraging people to
> participate, mentoring, thanking people for their contributions,
> offering help, providing constructive, useful criticism with
> explanations if required; all of these are good things that help.
> Take it a little further and add: objecting to sexist, racist, other
> -ist "jokes", not requiring members to have thick skins, condemning
> bad behaviour (not the same as condemning the person) and you will
> make a difference.  A bigger difference than you might expect even.
> If everyone did it, could you imagine the change that would occur?
> 

Agreed.

The question was asked earlier about how many at the latest CLUG meeting went and talked to the female(s) that were present.  This in itself is a sexist comment.  Why should we go and talk to someone/a group just because they are female?  I don't recall anyone coming and talking to me when I recently attended my first CLUG meeting.  This is more the point, make newcomers of all sex, race, religion etc welcome and they will return and possibly bring more members of that group, as they will talk to their friends, and pass on that this group, CLUG as an example, is open and willing to accept members of "their" group.

Note that I am not saying that CLUG is a hostile or non welcoming group, but it does take some time to feel a part of the group.  Obviously with any group gathering, the make up of that group, from week to week, will change, and by nature some people will be more inviting to newcomers than others.

I asked for help on two issues at CLUG meetings, and had two completely different experiences of the CLUG members for each issue, those that helped on one issue gave the impression that I shouldn't have asked for help, the members that helped on the other issue gave me the totally opposite feeling, like they could not do enough to help.  Obviously if I had only encountered one of the groups at the meeting, I could have come away with the opinion that the CLUG meetings were either not worth attending, as help was not freely given, or that CLUG was a great, friendly and welcoming place where issues of a Linux nature would be happily investigated. And maybe both groups were happily helping, but that was not the perception I got.


Cheers,
-- 
Jeff <smeeheee at gmail.com>