Linux and Females

[Allblack]

Just read in a post somewhere that females find it hard to be accepted by the Linux community and that they had been given a hard time.
I think this is pathetic! I'd like to see more females use it!
How many females are on this forum?

[budman7]

This poll is probably inaccurate by now.
http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/cof...ll-2006-a.html

[stubbe]

it's not the linux community that given them a hard time. But I always thinking (and observes) that most females aren't really interested in technology. Let alone linux. If they're dealing with computers, most of the time they only become the very average users, who chat, write, draw, surf and email. They satisfied just by able to access Yahoo and MSN, MS Office and internet explorer. I could only say that this is probably because they have more sensitive and social nature than men.

They won't likely to interested in experimenting with hardwares, softwares and stuffs. That's why, most geeky computer enthusiast having really hard time mingling with a girl or even having one (including me actually, I admit it lol) since everything in their head about computers. But I don't think linux community will refuse a woman to become part of it.

[Dapper Dan]

Just read in a post somewhere that females find it hard to be accepted by the Linux community and that they had been given a hard time.
I think this is pathetic! I'd like to see more females use it!
How many females are on this forum?

I think the person who made that post is simply 'full of it.' There are plenty of males who feel unaccepted by the Linux community and feel they are being given a hard time so I can't see these feelings being the result of one's sex. Besides, unless a poster specifically states they are female, (which I don't think the majority would), how can male Linux posters even know it is a female asking the question to begin with? If the female does proclaim she's a woman in a post wanting to know how to use the grep command, why would her sex have anything at all to do with recieving help? I'm sorry, but I just feel we (as in all of us) never seem to run out of ways we can define ourselves as victims based on sex, race, age , sexual preference, et cetera, ad infinitum when the problem usually boils down to insecurity and poor self image.

[fingal]

I remember that we've had this discussion before on this forum. I think I started it, but I can't find the thread!

Not sure about the idea that women are more likely to just be 'average users'. You see, when you say that you're already relegating them into the stereotype that I'm afraid men use to pigeonhole women. Home makers, not as bright as most men, sensitive ... They just want to chat. Hmmm not necessarily so Joe.

Looking at it now I suspect that even having this discussion will be off-putting for women. After all, who wants to belong to an apparent minority? We (men) talking about them (women) as if they are somehow very separate from ourselves and our lives.

I started out thinking the same way, so I'm not having a go at you. Your view is just as valid as mine ... I just wanted to respond.

[techieMoe]

I echo Dapper Dan's sentiment. In the odd occasion that a woman has identified herself as such on this forum, the only "bias" I've seen has been overwhelmingly in her favor. I mean, how many of us have outwardly flirted with petergriffin from time to time? Come on, own up.

If anything, the bias is slanted toward helping lady Linuxers out rather than against. And that's only when they identify themselves as such. Last I checked gender wasn't required knowledge on this forum, and I've never seen a case where someone asked a question and was snubbed because of their gender.

I cannot agree with the stereotype that women are less likely to be geeks, either. Perhaps this is my bias because I happen to be dating a lady geek, and have gone on other dates with other lady geeks, but I think that stereotype is at best inaccurate and at worst offensive.

[stubbe]

I don't like saying this, but stereotype or not, in reality just see how many of them scattered around and really active in these kind of communities, wether in real life or in cyberworld.

I won't say that this is a bad thing though, or good thing either. It's not like that I would flatly refuse or reject a woman jumping into this field or something, I would be glad, happy and admire a woman in this field, but it just what the reality is.

We should accept that reality instead of lying to ourselves just to evade the stereotyping impression since we geeks need to understand them more. So we wont bore them to dead when we have a date with em lol. Or perhaps to build a better understanding to women in our product to attract their interest?

If you look at other field like in gaming communities, sure, there're women playing quake. But how many of them? How big is the quake-playing women community compared to those who played the sims? Who knows someday there might be a "girl power" distro, a distribution targeted toward eve?

[techieMoe]

We should accept that reality instead of lying to ourselves just to evade the stereotyping impression since we geeks need to understand them more.

The reality is, there are a lot more women in the tech and gaming community than you obviously think. Sure, there are more men from what I've seen, but we're not talking a 4 to 1 ratio here. I have both feet firmly planted in reality, thank you very much.

[stubbe]

well, you've created the 2006 gender poll and you should've see the vote result. It's not a 4 to 1 ratio but it's not 50:50 ratio either.

[techieMoe]

well, you've created the 2006 gender poll and you should've see the vote result. It's not a 4 to 1 ratio but it's not 50:50 ratio either.

That's on this forum. That poll can't possibly be used to determine the distribution of men/women in tech jobs or the gaming world.