[UbuntuWomen] Ubuntu Women Sessions for Ubuntu Open Week

[Alejandra Ruiz]

2009/11/5 Lucy <lucybridges at gmail.com>

> 2009/11/4 Elizabeth Krumbach <lyz at ubuntu.com>:
> > On Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 2:14 PM, Elizabeth Krumbach <lyz at ubuntu.com>
> wrote:
> >> I mentioned previously that Mackenzie and I were working on some
> >> Ubuntu Women sessions for Ubuntu Open Week:
> >> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOpenWeek
> >>
> >> We'll be hosting two sessions, back to back:
> >>
> >> Thu 5 Nov @ 20:00 UTC: Ubuntu Women: Women in Open Source - Issues
> >> Thu 5 Nov @ 21:00 UTC: Ubuntu Women: Women in Open Source -
> Encouragement
> > <snip>
> >
> > Just a quick reminder that these are going to be happening in about 22.5
> hours.
> >
> >> but I think it would be great to get some real stories or scenarios
> >> within open source where you may have felt uncomfortable because of
> >> your gender. Or fellas - do you have stories anywhere in life where
> >> your gender made you feel awkward that I could use to draw parallels?
> >> Feel free to email me off-list, the examples in my presentation will
> >> be handled anonymously.
> >
> > Anyone have anything else before the session tomorrow? So far my
> > examples pretty much center around some of the stories I've been
> > exposed to that have made some women feel less welcome (marriage
> > proposals from strangers upon learning they use linux, being -or
> > feeling like- you're the only woman in a room/project/irc channel/etc,
> > being in the audience at an event where the speaker makes remarks
> > assuming the audience is all male, assumptions being made that you're
> > somewhere as a "girlfriend" and the resulting shock when people learn
> > you're actually involved).
>
>
>
Talking from my experience I have discovered that women are more keen to
prove new things  than men. When I first tell my mum about ubuntu, she
started to ask me about how could she continue to do the things she used to
don on the computer. I let her to use my laptop so if she liked it she could
have it as well. She was so impressed. The only thing she didn't like was
that I forget to translate some applications to spanish and she doesn't
speak any english. Once that was resolved she is the fan number one. My
grandmother as well is using ubuntu. She says she find the things easier.
She still has problems with new applications, but she has problems with any
OS. She needs someone close to her to tell her how does the new application
works. My dad is just starting to count on ubuntu. First he said:  Oh not a
new thing!, I know how to use Windows and that is what I will use and that's
my last word. Now when he thinks I dont see him, he is proving my syster's
computer where I installed ubuntu.

In technical discussions I found myself alone with a brunch of men. If none
of them knows me, sometimes they find me as a stranger. But with not much
time, I find myself as part of the group and next time, the same men come to
talk to me and ask form my opinion.Women must have the courage to give their
opinion, it is less harder than what we think.

I have to say that when I started to date with my boyfriend, many of his
friends didn't count with my opinion on technical aspect. I needed some
months to change that so now in some aspects they ask me in first place
rather than asking him :)

Best of lucks with the discussions.

Alejandra
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