vsbabu.org

HOWTO: Encourage Women in Linux

An excellent HOWTO on the subject, by the subject, for the non-subjects

Very illuminating. Here’s a very objective list from the HOWTO. I wish our diversity training experts were objective like this rather than trying to use a catch-all, very stupid and judgemental logic of "DKDK" (they Don’t Know they Don’t Know).

1. Don’t tell sexist jokes
2. Do protest sexist jokes
3. Don’t call people bitches
4. Do show some respect
5. Don’t take the keyboard away
6. Do give directions and explain them clearly
7. Don’t make sexual advances towards women
8. Do act friendly
9. Don’t complain about the lack of women in computing
10. Do encourage women in computing
11. Don’t stare and point when women arrive
12. Do treat new arrivals politely
13. Don’t treat women stereotypically
14. Do treat women as normal people
15. Don’t criticize too much
16. Do compliment
17. Don’t invite only male speakers
18. Do ask women to speak
19. Don’t micro-specialize
20. Do discuss broader topics
21. Don’t make your meetings hard to attend
22. Do make meetings easy to attend
23. Don’t make new people feel unwelcome
24. Do help new people get involved
25. Don’t underestimate girlfriends or wives
26. Do treat girlfriends and wives as independent people

1. I just bought a Toshiba 1905-S301 and your article was helpful. Thanks for the computer advice, but I've always found that calling women /*edited by author */ when they aren't expecting it has always led them straight into my bed.

   Stick to the computers buddy...

   Posted by: Bob Remeika on December 27, 2002 07:20 PM