[Techtalk] _The_ HOWTO

[Dave North]

Charlotte:
> I went and posted this morning - and raged a bit at some of the
> blind-sided comments. There are many "Well, my mom/aunt/sister/wife use
> linux, so I don't think this article is needed" posts there. I think we
> can come up with some intelligent responses stating that just because
> they know ONE woman who uses linux doesn't mean that there isn't any
> sexism/unfairness in the linux community.

	If you find those comments troubling, I'd suggest
pointing out that the document is aimed at participation in the linux
community, not just use of the OS and/or support programs. Therefore,
comments about use while alone, or in familiar environments (while they
are interesting) are not responsive to the issue at hand; nor do they
address the problem raised by the HOWTO.
	I hope others can suggest even more thoughtful approaches.

	I haven't seen your comments, but I will take the word "raged"
literally (for the sake of discussion) and ask if indeed that's what you
really want to see in the way of responses from LinuxChix members on the
LinuxToday website.
	A substantial part of the HOWTO really addresses the idea that men
should curtail behavior that discourages women. Given that this kind of
advice is useful and good, we might also consider if "rage" is the best
attitude to cop when trying to show folks an alternate viewpoint.
	Let me be clear: I'm not in the least objecting to rage as an
emotion -- things torque my bolts down too. Probably different things, and
the fact that different things outrage different people is a significant
point in what I'm trying to say (poorly). Rage can sometimes come as a
complete surprise because of that.

	LinuxChix itself is founded and infused with the idea that a
civil forum is a Good Thing. The issue is not whether we feel outrage, but
whether we express our raw feelings publicly in ways that may not serve
the community, or raise needless conflict.
	I would suggest to anyone who thinks the LinuxChix approach is
good, that there is no reason that the same issues -- addressed outside
this hallowed space -- should be handled any differently. I would also
suggest that we all consider that this might be a reasonable approach
particularly when the forum or discussion in question is directly linked
to the name, and activities, of LinuxChix.
	Personally, I see it as an obligation I take on when joining the
community, but that's just me and does not appear in any official
guidelines (to my knowledge). But if indeed we believe in cordial guidance
to newbies, making their progress easier and less frightening, should we
not also acknowledge that there are newbies to intergender considerations?
	If they are not trying to offend, but merely do so by making a
logical mistake or typing the wrong command, should we bite back our rage?
	My apologies if your use of the word "rage" was interpreted too
literally, or if none of that rage was obvious in your posting, or even if
you simply disagree with what I'm saying and think rage is a useful and
appropriate approach to public discussion.
	Somehow this seemed like a point worth making, though, after I
read the post.
	Whaddya think?


d