[Linux-aus] An Open Letter to the Open Source Community

[Donna Benjamin]

On Wed, 2007-05-23 at 10:03 +1000, Avi Miller wrote:
> On 23/05/2007, at 1:41 AM, Bret Busby wrote:
> 
> > Perhpas it may have been helpful to have included a description, or  
> > some other indication, of the "behaviours" of which you complain.
> 
> I think Melissa did quite succinctly in her original email

Agreed.   Top work Melissa - an excellent letter. Thanks for raising
your voice on this issue.  And thanks everyone for the [mostly]
excellent discussion arising.

One of the thorniest aspects of this issue is perception. 

Some men have no idea they are being offensive, and many women are
offended and never say anything. To say "I am offended by what you said"
often just adds insult to injury.  It's everyone's job to stand up, and
reject offensive behaviour.

So what's offensive behaviour? It's different for everyone. 
Offensive behaviour is behaviour that offends someone.  

I'm offended when people eat bananas. I should say - hey, please don't
eat that banana near me, the smell is going to make me want to throw up.
But I don't. I put up with it.

I'm not offended by pornography, but I feel excluded when it's showcased
inappropriately. Grunched as Mary puts it.

Take the Novell "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads where linux is a chick. Check
out some of the commentary that followed them.
http://kattekrab.livejournal.com/29634.html

And for more geekchix perspective ...  check out Penny Leach's
article... http://www.vitta.org.au/infonet/17.1_PennyLeach_WomenInICT

        "Oh wow... I assumed you were just someone's girlfriend"

        yes, I do know about computers, and yes, I am a programmer, and
        no, I'm not just someone's girlfriend. So after that, you'd
        think the subject would be closed, right? But no.
        
        The next thing that happens is that I have to prove it. This
        almost never happens to men. They say they're programmers? Fine.
        They're programmers. With women, there seems to be this
        lingering suspicion that it's not actually true. I don't just
        have to prove that I'm a programmer. I have to be a really
        really good programmer, otherwise I'll be dismissed as just a
        'girl programmer'. Not a real one, because, implicitly, girls
        can't actually be real programmers, they're just this smaller,
        cuter, somehow pinker version of programmers.



-- 
Donna Benjamin
Conference Director linux.conf.au 2008 http://www.mel8ourne.org
Board Member Open Source Industry Australia http://www.osia.net.au
Executive Director Creative Contingencies http://www.cc.com.au