[Sderby] Derby Knitting Circle [was Re: Sad MCPs in Free Software circles]

[Dave Coulson]

I think that all you children have LOST the thread. Perhaps you should 
all KNIT together and change the subject!!!!!
Grandad David

Richard Smedley wrote:

>On Saturday 09 December 2006 00:00, Hans Kreuger wrote:
>  
>
>>>And consider too why there are so few women in this LUG - even
>>>in comparison to the low percentages in other groups.
>>>
>>> - Richard
>>>[/Fed up with the incessant low-level put downs he sees people
>>>giving every girl or woman interested in anything scientific]
>>>      
>>>
>
>  
>
>>I consider it a little unfair to condemn the entire lug as
>>inhospitable to women based on  comments from a single member. I don't
>>think theres any basis to classify this lug in such a way.
>>If you wish to respond to an individuals comment, fine - just don't
>>envisage a vocal minority as representative of the whole.
>>    
>>
>
>Good morning Hans,
>
>Yes, you're right, I was a little sweeping in my comments ;^/
>
>It's just as I watch my daughters grow up with a slow and steady drip,
>drip, drip of comments about how inappropriate it is to have an
>interest in anything scientific, or IT, it means I get incredibly
>annoyed by such comments.
>
>Yes Steve, I realise you *meant* your comments as a joke - my point 
>is that the cumulative effect of such comments on lists and
>elsewhere is that many women just don't bother with Free Software.
>And thus we all lose.
>
>I'm a bit lost in all the comments about NUS, and women's officers,
>as I went to agricultural college, not university, and then studied 
>horticulture at the Royal Botanic Gardens. Women outnumber men
>in horticulture, and neither sex feels the need for representatives,
>because it's rightly assumed that your sex won't affect you're ability
>to get the work done.
>
>However in IT something is very wrong - and it goes right back to
>how we teach children in Junior schools, so I'm not blaming it all
>on the sense of humour of LUG members :-/
>
>So, in summary: apologies for casting nasturtiums at the group
>as a whole;   yes, it might be a joke, and women on the list aren't offended
>- but it still has an effect;   universities are strange places;   I'm glad
>Derby LUG is a welcoming place, but the meetings are on the wrong
>side of the county for me - otherwise I'd regularly come and knit Zaurus
>covers with you;   please, those of you who haven't, read the docs linked
>below, and have a think about why we have so few women in Free Software
>(compared to proprietary IT, as well as to other industries).
>
>  
>
>>>http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Encourage-Women-Linux-HOWTO/index.html
>>>http://www.linuxchix.org/content/docs/faqs/issues.html  [sections 2 to 4]
>>>      
>>>
>
>Knit one, Perl one, knit one, Perl one, ...
>
> - Richard
>
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/content/articles/2005/02/11/knit_cafe_feature.shtml
>
>  
>