[UbuntuWomen] Ubuntu Women Sessions for Ubuntu Open Week

[Elizabeth Krumbach]

On Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 7:30 AM, Alejandra Ruiz <alejandra.ruiz at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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.

Thank you for this observation, Alejandra!

I have heard experiences from a lot of people regarding how keen
family members are to pick things up - many are in your camp who have
had experiences with women being more, others say men in their family
are. When it comes down to it, among "less techie folks" I'm really
not sure it makes a huge difference. It's all about how you approach
it (know your audience!) and in general what your family members do on
a computer that make the difference.

> 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 hope this is encouraging to others, I've found the same, but a lot
of women attend a Linux meeting once or twice, feel ignored or "out of
place" and never go back again. This is unfortunate, I think with a
bit more persistence they could find a place.

>From this I can also draw that this is another issue - a barrier often
exists and we often feel out of place as the only woman in a room at a
tech gathering, it's one more thing many women need to overcome before
really joining a community.

-- 
Elizabeth Krumbach // Lyz // pleia2
http://www.princessleia.com