[gnome-women] engagement with gnu project

[Andy Wingo <wingo pobox com>]

Hello all,

By way of introduction, I maintain GNU Guile, an implementation of the
Scheme programming language. My GNOME involvement started with work on
GStreamer, a media handling framework -- frustrated attempts to make
music, the common condition -- but I've moved more to the GNU side of
things now.

I'm writing this list because I'm organizing the upcoming GNU Hackers
Meeting, co-located with GUADEC this year, at the Hague, 24-25 July. The
weekend before, yes. I recently read the Leslie Hawthorne interview at
LWN.net -- http://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/382813/3827d0dfb18605d9/ -- and
I realized I should be engaging with a GNU women's group to see about
getting speakers.

Except, there is no GNU women's group, and a cursory investigation of
the list of GNU maintainers pulls up no women. I didn't realize the
situation was this bad!

I guess I have two requests.

The first request is for speakers for the upcoming GHM. GNOME is part of
GNU if it wants to be -- see
http://wingolog.org/archives/2009/12/13/gnu-gnome-and-the-fsf -- and you
are very welcome to speak at the event.

Even if you are not really involved with GNU, please consider attending
the GHM. Speaking personally, it has been really enriching to become a
part of the OS that underlies most GNOME deployments. You will be most
welcome.

The second request is for people who feel identified with GNU in some
way to consider organizing a "GNU women's group". I would imagine that
the proper route is to choose someone that you trust as a maintainer,
then to contact RMS to set up a new GNU project. (Yes, I think it's that
important.) Please contact me if you are interested and have any
questions; I'm "wingo" on freenode and gimpnet IRC.

                                ***

A final thought, from a relative GNU newcomer: GNU culture is
interesting, similar to GNOME culture in many aspects, but different in
its own way. It's rooted in Stallman and MIT and old hackers and
visionaries. These roots affect the present, as with any organization
with a long history.

But because it's been male-dominated for so long, some "typically
masculine" elements might have infiltrated into that culture. RTFM-ness,
for example. I don't think these parts are in any essential; they're
trash, as you all well know. /Ánimo, peregrina/; if you find this
element, rooting it out is the good fight.


Peace, and please, let's talk about the GHM!

Copy me on any replies, as I'm not on the list :)

Andy
-- 
http://wingolog.org/