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geek chicks?



In http://freshmeat.net/news/2000/02/05/949813140.html
Skud writes about the place of geekgrrls in the open source movement in a
recent Freshmeat article. She begins:

This article explores some of the issues relating to females in technical
fields, particularly in the Open Source/Free Software movement and among
communities of geeks and hackers: Why are there so few of them? Why are
there even less who achieve excellence and recognition in their field?
What causes and correlations can we find that might tell us more about
this? And does it matter anyway? The desirability of having female hackers
is also explored, and a possible alternative role for women in the field
is suggested.

    Much discussion of gender inequality in certain fields revolves around
the concept of "Nature vs. Nurture". "Nature" is the term used to describe
biological and genetic influences that are present at birth, while
"nurture" refers to the environment in which a person is brought up.

    The "Nature" side of the discussion is very difficult to investigate,
as it is near-impossible to examine biological and genetic influences in
isolation. Any person who is the subject of such a study would already be
"polluted" by their upbringing and environment.

    Since we cannot address the issue of "Nature" with respect to female
geeks, this article will attempt to examine the "Nurture" side of the
issue, and changes to our environment which may encourage more women into
technical fields, especially hackerdom and the Open Source/Free Software
movement.

    With respect to terminology, I will use the terms "geeks",
"hackers"[1] and "Open Source/Free Software community" somewhat
interchangeably in this article. I realize that they are different (though
overlapping) groups, but since there appears to be a similar dearth of
females in all three categories, the following discussion applies equally
across the board. If you don't like my terms, feel free to mentally
replace them with your own as you read this document.

    It is also necessary for me to disclose my gender at this point. Those
of you who have read my previous article will know that I am a
self-identified "geek chick". I have been using computers since the age of
ten or thereabouts, using Linux since 1993, and identify closely with
hacker subculture and the Open Source movement. I feel it is necessary to
explain this so that you will know where I'm coming from, and not
misinterpret what I say in this article.

    Lastly, I probably need to make it perfectly clear that this isn't an
academic paper, and that this article is based on personal opinion and
experience. And, despite the fact that I'm my own boss, the opinions
expressed herein are not necessarily those of Netizen Pty Ltd or any other
entity or group, including other female geeks.

[more at http://freshmeat.net/news/2000/02/05/949813140.html ]

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                             Paul Jones
   "We must protect our precious bodily fluids!" General Jack D Ripper
http://MetaLab.unc.edu/pjones/ at the Site Formerly Known As SunSITE.unc.edu
  pjones@MetaLab.unc.edu   voice: (919) 962-7600     fax: (919) 962-8071 
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