[Novalug] How to Encourage Women in Linux

[Dan Arico]

On Friday 27 June 2008 01:54:04 pm Winter wrote:
> Sarah Elikins said:
> > Is something in particular stopping you from finding out how to design
> > to women?  For example, did you think the comments directed at
> > Mackenzie's attractiveness were appropriate?  None of the long timers
> > spoke out against that before she finally hinted at a certain level of
> > discomfort.  Or even after ... That indicates some tolerance for such
> > comments.    Did you notice Mackenzie's hint, and understand what it
> > was about?  Did you think it was reasonable?
>
> And Keith Casey said:
> It's really not such a big deal... if you don't point/stare/gawk/drool
> and treat *everyone* sitting at the table like a human being, you're
> 90% of the way there.  But hopefully you're already treating everyone
> with basic courtesy and respect... right?

If I may chime in here, there's a point I'd like to make to women. I work with 
a woman - my wife - and there's a female trait that can be a real problem in 
an IT environment.

We all know that women are more verbal than men and they tend to communicate 
more. I think they might even have a compulsion to communicate more. I've had 
to move my work station into the workshop so that I can think uninterrupted 
when I do programming. I've had hours of work wasted when she interrupted me 
at a critical point and made me lose my train of thought. I've told her this 
is a problem, but if I'm available, she talks to me.

A friend of mine, who is a professional writer who works at home, tells me he 
has had to do the same thing.

Dan Arico

-- 
One OS to rule them all, One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all, and in the Darkness bind them,
In the land of Redmond, where the Sales Reps lie.