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EU Funds New FLOSS Survey on Skills, Employment
rishab writes "The EU-funded FLOSSPOLS project is carrying out a survey of developers worldwide. This is a follow-up to the original FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) survey in 2002, which was one of the first and most comprehensive surveys of developers - who they are, how they work and why they do it. The new survey aims to provide an update, include new developers, and answer some of the questions that were raised by the first one. In particular, how do developer communities help in learning skills and generating employment, and why is the level of participation by women so low?"
As a woman who codes and went to an engineering university, I can testify that to that there are social factors that do dissuade girls and young women from going into technical fields. For one thing, there are few scientifically-inclined female role models. I don't know about you, but when I think of a female scientist stereotype, I have this vision of a cold, austere looking woman, which doesn't even remotely describe me or any of my female peers.
While growing up, I had adults and peers alike (not all of them, of course) treat me as if I'm some sort of freak for showing an interest in computers. Others would treat me like I was some sort of idiot who was incapable of doing the assigned work myself. When you're trying to fit in, it's easier to find a new interest than to endure those attitudes. It took several tries with my guidance councelor to get her to put together my records to submit to the college I went to because she kept questioning if I really wanted to do this. Not exactly a morale booster.
When I got to college, the male to female ratio was 6 : 1. Not only was there the minority of guys who hit on every girl they came into contact with (a few strayed over into sexual harassment), but there were very few girls who could sympathize with you.
If you are assertive, you're labeled a bitch. When you go for jobs, there are people who think, "Well, she's going to want to start a family soon, so I'd better not go with her; she's going to be undependable", without having any evidence of her dependability.
No, can't see why any young woman would have a problem going into a science field with those conditions. Any attempt to make science seem "girl-friendly" is doomed as long as the situtations that I mention are common enough. It's a cheap marketing ploy at best.
Having said all of that, I am a strong believer of matching the person to the position. I don't care if your advantage comes from your natural talent, physical build, education, experience, personality, etc. but, it had better be an honest match. You lose a lot when you confuse your assumptions with reality.
Little girls are taught from a very early age that the most important thing in life is to be beautiful and desirable, to the exclusion of just about everything else. Little girls are not publicly rewarded for their mathematical abilities and rarely encouraged to develop them. It takes a lot of courage to swim against this tide, believe me, I am a female software engineer and I know. Yes, the social influences--not our hormones--are keeping women from enjoying careers in math, science, and technology.
As a grandmother, who's been pretty much on my own for learning how to program, and wasn't allowed to have a computer "to waste time and money on" until my husband decided that HE could use one, I can tell you immediately why there are fewer women in FOSS development.
Most FOSS projects start as an after-work (or school), spare-time project. Most women work, and even working women are expected to handle housework, shopping, and child care after work. Where is the spare time left for anything else?
I'm shocked every time I hear this crap. Role model? Who the fuck needs a role model? I can't do homework because I don't have a role model?
Of course you don't need to have a role model to do homework. Maybe role model was a bad choice of words. The point is, girls are often given the impression that if they go into science, they'll end up as humorless, ugly, old maids.
Through college I was always harassed by idiots who couldn't do their work. The guys pretended like we were friends, the girls flirted. Were you capable of doing the work by yourself?
Yes, I was and I still am. I don't like to take help from anyone. Probably a personality flaw. But I really hate being patronized. I'm willing to give people the benefit of the doubt when they offer help, but sometimes, it's very obvious that they think you just can't do it. I don't know. Maybe it's just a sad attempt at a pick up.
Worst anecdote I can think of happened to my sister. She had a high school physics teacher who used to routinely tell the girls that he didn't expect them to be able to do the work.
I've literally had situations where I put forth an idea, it's dismissed without discussion, and a guy involved in the discussion within a minute puts forth the exact same idea, sometimes using the exact same words, and he gets the credit. It sucks, but that's life.
Most women who call themselves assertive are bitches. Most men who call themselves assertive are assholes. I've met plenty of assertive men and women who were fine, but as soon as some one calls them self assertive they're probably making excuses.
I tend to regard myself as passive most of the time, yet I've been called a bitch just for voicing an opinion in turn in an open forum.
Possibly, but I doubt you read their minds or they told you this.
No, but I've overheard conversations that weren't meant for my ears. It happens.
Married men tend to make more than single men and are hired more quickly, wheres the public outcry from single men? I'd think slashdot would be a good place for it to start.
I would guess that married men also tend to be older and more likely to have more work experience. I have no statistics so I don't know if that is a reasonable explanation or if you were comparing men of similar ages.
You aren't terribly special, if you could become a coder other woman could to. Given enough time, if there are a significant number of women who struggle through and become coders things will get easier. If there aren't many women who struggle to become coders, I'd say there's some sort of predisposition involved.
While I don't regard myself as better, I am apparently unusual or we wouldn't be having this discussion. I'm where I am because I've never done well at fitting in and I'm too stubborn to walk away from something I enjoy so much. I wasn't looking for sympathy. I was simply pointing out that a career in science has some real disincentives to women. Until those factors become much less significant, it's impossible to draw any rational conclusions about whether there is a genetic component to it.