Re: [boost] [IBD] Help request, A Woman's Point of View

From: JOAQUIN LOPEZ MU?Z (joaquin_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-07-06 14:33:56

----- Mensaje original -----
De: Edward Diener <eldiener_at_[hidden]>
Fecha: Viernes, Julio 6, 2007 7:37 pm
Asunto: Re: [boost] [IBD] Help request, A Woman's Point of View
Para: boost_at_[hidden]

> Martin Bonner wrote:
> > ----Original Message----
> > From: boost-bounces_at_[hidden]
> > [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Matias 
Capeletto
[...]
> >> We are currently lacking a woman's point of view.
> >>
> >> Is there any female Booster willing to help us?
> > 
> > Why?  I mean, what is there that is specifically different about 
> > a "woman's point of view"?  I can certainly see that an 
> > /international/ point of view is useful (a native speaker to get 
> > the grammer right, a non-native speaker to remove colloquialisms 
> > for example), but I really don't see the point when it comes to 
> > men/women.>
> > Incidentally, why did Joaquin's post prompt the thought?  Was it 
> > the use of "guys"?  I was surprised when I first heard "guys" 
> > being used to refer to a mixed group of boys and girls - but that 
> > was 30 years ago, so the usage is pretty established.
> 
> I agree with you. It is patronizing, and although perhaps not 
> intentionally, insulting to women to say "we want a woman's point 
> of view" ( or we want "some generalized X's" point of view ),

Well, that could be said of any affimative action policy.

> unless it is something where women ( or X ) are noticeably
> different from men ( or the current group ). I can hardly believe
> that could ever be the case when it comes to working on the
> Boost documentation project.

Whatever the reason, it is a fact that women are severely
misrepresented in the Boost community. If only from a practical
point of view, we're somehow missing the opportunity to double
our target market. If we work on the assumption that women are
as valuable potential contributors as men are, then the only
reasonable conclusion is that some aspects of the Boost culture
are raising an unintentional entry barrier to that segment.
We can just ignore the problem on the grounds of non-intrusiveness,
or we can study the issue and see if we can improve things.

Joaquín M López Muñoz
Telefónica, Investigación y Desarrollo