Announcing Ubuntu Women

[linux.is.skynet]

This is a brilliant idea. I was just looking at the picture of Ubuntu developers and noticed that there were a lot of women developers. I think people just forget about Linux's concept of freedom and replace it with technophile assumptions. Everyone, including women, deserve to enjoy this freedom and just like men there are women fluent in the art of Ubuntu and there may be some who just use it for browsing the web, videos etc. My wife uses Ubuntu daily and her brother (20 yrs. old) can't even find Firefox to save his life.So why should it seem unusual to have female Ubuntu users/developers? A person's gender is irreverent in what Operating System they use and how they use it. As for the person who said Ubuntu women must be ugly is truly an ignorant example of a person. I'll leave it at that.

[John Krow]

Hi, I'm new here but i would like to comment.

I think there are a few understandable reasons may men and woman don't like the idea of "safe zones" for a particular group.

1) Some feel like they are being labeled as the enemy based on gender / ethnicity etc... stereotyped if you will...

2) Some people feel misrepresented.... like they are being told that their gender / group etc is weak or inferior etc, and to make it worse, it is coming from within.

3) Some people feel that others are simply too thin skinned and want them to just stand up for themselves.


To make it more complicated, all of the above reasons are "right on the money" some of the time, and completely wrong other times. We humans often take the first experience we have and it becomes "the way is always is".

Mm, the 'fundamental attribution error' as my psych teachers used to call it. OldGaf, not sure if i want to explore your old/transition/new model too much, but applying these reasons to this case, what i don't get is why it doesn't occur to you to categorise the establishment of safe zones for women as precisely what is recommended in your third point above - women standing up for themselves, collectively on a self-organised basis? Personally I think patriarchy is more deeply ingrained and persistent than you imagine, possibly hard-wired into civilisation itself, which I guess is where our base assumptions differ. Some people think the establishment of female safe zones was what gave us law and culture and distinguished us from animals in the first place, patriarchy then established as a powerful counter revolution, but that's another story...

Would you mind clarifying your second point? I'm unsure as to which particular gender group you have in mind (as applied to this case).

As for the first point, IMO that would be a gross overreaction to an explicitly non-separatist area, and betray deeper issues with anger and so on, sparked off by the mere existence of women with an independent point of view, regardless of their particular attitudes towards men. But yes, it could charitably be described as 'understandable' given gendered socialisation.
An example: I used to have a problem with the line 'all men are potential rapists'. But then, as a pedestrian, I realised all motorists are potential killers, and I don't have a problem with me feeling like that, so why should women feel any differently about men?

My person belief is that there are unfortunately times where protection and segregation is needed. Halfway homes for battered people for example. I hate that we need them in this day and age, but there is obviously a need.
<snip>
To me the best approach it to change the old ways, not build walls to keep them at bay. I feel on an online OS support group is an example of this.

I must disagree; we both appear to be male yet there is no wall here to surmount, it's a straw wall (to coin a phrase) you've constructed. I get the impression you feel this simply isn't the 'right' way to change things; that doesn't mean you can dismiss this as an attempt at separation. Women don't need telling they need to operate within patriarchy! In other words, you're perception of separatism is based on YOUR personal truth of the purpose of 'Ubuntu Women' (wonder how that sounds in whatever african language the trademark was pilfered from, ahem sorry 'inspired by' - and as a side note, isn't it profoundly anti-freedom to trademark such a word? Language is open source too). You're not considering anyone elses truth and how that might affect the way the team works in action, as opposed to in (your) theory.

It does make me chuckle/wonder to think how those who believe this board/team separatist would respond if they ever meet actual feminist separatists

A person's gender is irreverent

Well mine often is. Sorry, it can be bad form to make gags based on spelling errors, but this struck me as an interesting one.

[aysiu]

While I happen to be one who believes that safe spaces exclusively for women should exist in the tech world given our current sociological situation, it's also worth pointing out that the very first post in the thread says the subforum is not exclusively for women:

This forum section is for Ubuntu Women, a group designed to make women feel more comfortable in the Ubuntu Community and the Linux Community at large. It is NOT meant to separate women from the rest of the community.

[John Krow]

Yes that's rather more concise!

safe spaces exclusively for women should exist in the tech world

In real world settings I would say that can be especially true. There's one in my nearest commercial street.

eta: well it is AKAiK, I recall a pleasant professional appearance, atmosphere. & no i'm not going to tell the story, it's not very interesting. Anyway, ubuntu<etymology

[galdren]

Go go ladies! Hope some day the IT world in general (including the Ubuntu community) will stop being overpopulated by X-chromosomes like me

just wanted to let you know there are a lot of males who love seeing more women around in these kind of forums and that you should ignore the old-fashioned guys who think it's more fun when your only company is a bunch of hairy, ugly...you get the point

[Swagman]

Go go ladies! Hope some day the IT world in general (including the Ubuntu community) will stop being overpopulated by X-chromosomes like me

just wanted to let you know there are a lot of males who love seeing more women around in these kind of forums and that you should ignore the old-fashioned guys who think it's more fun when your only company is a bunch of hairy, ugly...you get the point

If you are a Male then you mean IT is over populated with Y chromosomes.

X X = female
X Y = Male

But I do agree with you.

[_h_]

Oh, hello ladies!

[Max Destruction]

I always thought that women merely used their computers for frivolous activities like telling their friends how much they "<3" things on msn, editing their webcam poses and twittering about hair appointments. I wasn't aware that they might have any desire to do anything meaningful on a computer.

[bapoumba]

I always thought that women merely used their computers for frivolous activities like telling their friends how much they "<3" things on msn, editing their webcam poses and twittering about hair appointments. I wasn't aware that they might have any desire to do anything meaningful on a computer.

Ignorance, provocation or what ?

[Arthur_D]

Sounded like irony/sarcasm to me, but IANAW (=I Am Not A Woman).