Feminism & Open Source

Corey Latislaw @corey_latislawPam Selle @pamasaurFeminism & Open SourceSlides: Give a brief intro and introduce ourselves.Challenge old models with new thought patterns.Our GoalPamWhat does it look like?Writing testsWriting documentationCleaning up bad codeDoing the Dishes(Paying Your Dues)

This is what we've been told to do. Emphasize that it's related to a male dominated-world view.Source

Tell our stories on how we've rejected that model.AgendaFeminismCurrent ModelNew ModelWhat you can doCorey!"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. -Rebecca WestOn Feminismpam section"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes"

What is Feminism?Women are people too

Different flavors of feminismIntersectionalityIn open source

Feminism vs. Feminisms"[Women] are not sure if other community members will treat them respectfully, prefer not to be the only woman in the group, or are uncertain about embarking on the solitary exploration typically needed to get up to speed in open source.

-ZhurakhinskayaWhy aren't women in FOSS?Problem isn't the women, it's the system."...hindrances to participation includ[e] a lack of mentors and role models, discriminating language usage, a maledominated competitive world view, and a lack of womencentered perspectives.-ReagleCurrent Model"Contrary to what we would like to believe, there is no such thing as a 'structureless' group. Any group of people of whatever nature coming together for any length of time, for any purpose, will inevitably structure itself in some fashion. The structure may be flexible, it may vary over time, it may evenly or unevenly distribute tasks, power and resources over the members of the group. But it will be formed regardless of the abilities, personalities and intentions of the people involved. The very fact that we are individuals with different talents, predispositions and backgrounds makes this inevitable." -FreemanStructureless Tyrannydiscuss power structures with the tyranny quote"Paying your duesTraditional devaluation of women's work (teaching, art, etc.)Bias against empathy

Structureless Tyranny[O]pen source culture is not feminist. Feminism is fundamentally about equality for everyone, not just women, and designers of any gender are just as alienated as women programmers, because its not an equally welcoming environment. -TrapaniOpen Source Feministfrom 2011Low participation diverse populationsLow polishLow testingLow documentationLow engagement of usersWhat's the outcome?Abrasive emailsFlamewarsRTFMHostile environmentsMicroaggressionsApathetic / silent alliesRed FlagsHow can we make this better?Whats missing?New Modelcorey - two approaches; one's more frustratingWarmthMentorshipStewardshipUser/design focusOpen discourseOur ModelPamEncourages traditionally underrepresented groups to participate.Provides a healthy space for criticism of the work product (not the people).Pathway for newbies to contribute in ways that interest them (coding, UX, PM, technical writer, etc.).

Success Criteria"Let them know you're happy they're here, show them around the place, help them with their question or problem, and let them know how they can give back to the community.

-TrapaniWarmth "Let them know you're happy they're here, show them around the place, help them with their question or problem, and let them know how they can give back to the community." (Trapani, "Designers, Women, and Hostility in Open Source")

Clear pathways for contributionConversion of new contributors to regular contributorsPair programmingMentorshipAnswering questions and being accessible to new and regular contributors.Managing resourcesIdentifying strengths and interestsStewardshipArchitecture

"Prioritize design and usability upfront, rather than accept a mess of software with plans to slap a pretty veneer on afterwards. This is been the lesson I keep having to learn and re-learn: design and usability cannot be an afterthought." -TrapaniDesign/User FocusClear communicationCommunity-approved standardsAccessible and open forums (lists, IRC, wikis)Open DiscourseLay out a clear path for contributionHave resources and tools for new contributorsKeep current contributors engagedCode of conductHealthy (Existing) Communitieshttps://django-admin2.readthedocs.org/en/latest/contributing.htmlNOTESWhat can I do?15Utopia Doesn't Exist

Conflict happensCommunities are people

Image SourceCommunities are peopleConflict happensExisting ProjectsContribute requested featuresContribute whats missingEngage with community on IRC/listsAnswer questionsMentor new peopleImprove onboardingJoin a core teamYou are an expert. You have something valuable to share.Found your ownopen source project!SummaryExisting "rules" aren't what they seemWe can do betterYou can help us do betterRock on!

Pam Selle@pamasaurthewebivore.comgithub.com/pselle@corey_latislawcoreylatislaw.comgithub.com/colabug

Thank you!Corey LatislawBookshttp://tinyurl.com/feministreading

Listshttp://bitly.com/bundles/pamasaur/1

Reading ListTrapani, G. Designers, Women, and Hostility in Open Source. http://smarterware.org/7550/designers-women-and-hostility-in-open-sourceReagle, J. Free as in Sexist? http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4291/3381Freeman, J. The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/structurelessness.htmlZhurakhinskaya, M. Opening Open Source to Women http://www.women2.com/opening-open-source-to-women/Bibliography