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Tackling Open Source's Gender Issues

angry tapir writes "Women's participation in open source development is at a far lower level than women's participation in proprietary software development. One of the groups that aims to change this is the Ada Initiative: A non-profit organization formed last year. I recently caught up with its two founders, Linux kernel developer Valerie Aurora and comp sci PhD student Mary Gardiner, to discuss the project."

8 of 589 comments (clear)

  1. Okay this may get me modded down to infinity, but by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good luck trying to find a woman that doesn't care about money.

    And if you do, please tell her that I'm looking for a new wife to help me support my first two.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. They can't walk the walk. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Women have a hard time being obnoxious, arrogant, self-centered fuckheads. They are willing to make compromises in the interest of forward progress. They also are not as good as men at doling out sexual innuendo and juvenile potty humor. In short, they are completely unsuited to the task.

  3. First up, rename Man command by Tekfactory · · Score: 2, Funny

    I mean come on that's been a problem for years right?

  4. Re:Community resistance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "-probably not the most palatable spokesperson to get behind in the first place"

    It's probably safer than to have him behind you.

  5. Re:Okay this may get me modded down to infinity, b by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Good luck trying to find a woman that doesn't care about money.

    Hah! That's easy! Just find a woman with a rich husband.

    [ducks]

  6. Re:Okay this may get me modded down to infinity, b by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That's quite a stereotype you've got there...

  7. Re:Community resistance by stanlyb · · Score: 1, Funny

    The funny things is that in France there are a lot more women developers than in USA for example. Funny, maybe they are smarter? I mean both french men and women....

  8. Re:Community resistance by russotto · · Score: 4, Funny

    Something doesn't have to be the worst to be bad.

    For geek misogynism to explain the gender disparity in software in general or open source in particular, it does have to be the worst. Because the gender disparity in software is more than in advertising, more than in sales, more than in almost any occupation you can think of that's full of loudmouth sexists:

    Software engineers: 20.6% women
    Computer programmers: 22.4% women
    Computer scientists and systems analysts: 30.4% women
    Computer support specialists: 27.1% women
    Database administrators: 32.2% women
    Network and computer systems administrators: 17.2% women
    Network systems and data communications analysts: 23.2% women

    Compare:
    Bailiffs, correctional officers, jailers: 26.9% women
    Sports reporters: 38.8% women
    Advertising sales agents: 45.3% women
    Marketing and sales managers: 43.1% women
    Lawyers: 35.0% women

    There are professions with fewer women -- e.g. tv and radio announcers, 18% women. And many of the construction trades are near zero. Truckers, very low. But still, it strains credulity that a bunch of geeks could drive women out of a field through sheer obnoxiousness, when salespeople, advertising people, sports reporters, and lawyers couldn't.