Open Source, Closed Minds - Linux Vlogger gets abused for her appearance

[Ji Ruo]

I was really disappointed to see this. Nixie Pixel has been posting about Linux and Open Source for 4 years now, and has made some really accessible tutorials about how to set up stuff in Ubuntu. But she got abused by 2 people at her first Open Source convention because of her appearance.

I'd Rather Vlog Naked

http://howtoubuntu.org/someone-insulted-nixie-pixel/

[Grenage]

People will be people. It would be madness to assume that people with a similar field of interest will automatically be nice to each other (or be nice at all).

[AllRadioisDead]

I'm not really a fan of her videos, but she shouldn't be discriminated against by how she looks or acts. She should be judged based on quality of the content she provides and the works she does (just like anyone else). Regardless of what I think, her videos are good for the community and help a lot of people.

[Primefalcon]

What was wrong with the dress? it honestly looked fine to me?!?

Honestly what she is doing rocks, she had a fairly large audio and puts out a lot of help video's that anyone can follow

[Grenage]

What was wrong with the dress? it honestly looked fine to me?!?

Honestly what she is doing rocks, she had a fairly large audio and puts out a lot of help video's that anyone can follow

I haven't seen any of the videos, but if you're not wearing a coffee-stained t-shirt, 50Kg overweight, and sporting a beard - you're just not OSS enough!

[AllRadioisDead]

I haven't seen any of the videos, but if you're not wearing a coffee-stained t-shirt, 50Kg overweight, and sporting a beard - you're just not OSS enough!

You forgot the fanny pack.

[Ji Ruo]

People will be people. It would be madness to assume that people with a similar field of interest will automatically be nice to each other (or be nice at all).

True. But it would be equally mad to equate not being nice to someone with walking up to a person you've never met and abusing them, on assumptions made on the basis of their appearance. This is discrimination, not a lack of manners.

[darkhelmetchris]

What a shame. I have watched several of Nixie's videos and referred new users to them many times; she's very helpful for new people. I think it would have been great to have seen her presentation in person, instead of the "final cut" recorded-video version of Nixie.

I have long since been "newbie" enough to need her tutorials, but I think she's doing a great job. She seems to carefully think things through and gives people her input - which is more than I can say for quite a few others in the OSS community - that's not an attack - merely how the community is because of its diversity.

And, even though it might seem taboo to say, I'm not afraid to state that she is pretty easy on the eyes to begin with. As someone already pointed out, the majority of the OSS community is strongly-weighted to a particular stereotype, so having more people like Nixie in the group certainly couldn't hurt.

[effenberg0x0]

I feel for her but...Meh. I've met some of the greatest, most amazing, brightest, people ever because of FOSS and Ubuntu. I've also met some of the most idiotic, aggressive, narrow-minded people because of FOSS and Ubuntu. This is not surprising at all. It could have happened at a Windows conference, a PETA meeting, NATO Christmas party, a church, in the street, anywhere. The group or place is irrelevant.

Bad people exist. Life is just as unfair as death. She can't possibly expect all people to be nice to her, always, at all places. She can't expect people to be broken hearted because she met a couple bad guys once. While a moron insulted her at a conference because of her clothes or whatever, I can't help but think that another woman was beaten or raped to death by another dude elsewhere.

Life is a pigsty. Almost everything is rotten, unfortunately. It will be easier for her if she accepts that and learns to just laugh at such morons, tell them to **** off and move on with her stuff. She's cool and seems to be a nice person: She's got to learn to stand up for herself.

Regards,
Effenberg

[Grenage]

True. But it would be equally mad to equate not being nice to someone with walking up to a person you've never met and abusing them, on assumptions made on the basis of their appearance. This is discrimination, not a lack of manners.

I'm not defending it, but if there was an outrage every time someone rude to someone else, we'd never get anything done. That's probably why youtube is apparently full of reply videos, with snide remarks. I certainly don't write a blog entry or cry if someone is rude to me....

[slightly sarcastic]
Back in my day, we'd just nut them and it ended there.
[/sarcastic]