Geek Feminism Wiki
(clean up; add authors and dates for various linked reactions, fix some broken links)
(→‎Responses: add a response (prev. edit was me, too))
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* [http://coffee.geek.nz/node/23114 Hide of a rhino or constitution of a psychopath] by [[Brenda Wallace]] (Sept 25, 2009)
 
* [http://coffee.geek.nz/node/23114 Hide of a rhino or constitution of a psychopath] by [[Brenda Wallace]] (Sept 25, 2009)
 
* [http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/28002-geek-feminist-jumps-the-gun-on-shuttleworth-speech Geek feminist jumps the gun on Shuttleworth speech] by [[Sam Varghese]] (Sept 25, 2009)
 
* [http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/open-sauce/28002-geek-feminist-jumps-the-gun-on-shuttleworth-speech Geek feminist jumps the gun on Shuttleworth speech] by [[Sam Varghese]] (Sept 25, 2009)
  +
* [http://ignore-your.tv/2009/09/25/siding-with-the-bastards siding with the bastards] by James Cape (Sept 25, 2009)
 
* [http://www.eloquentspace.net/blog/is-the-founder-of-ubuntu-a-male-chauvinist/ Is the founder of Ubuntu a male chauvinist?] by Dan Kelly (Sept 27, 2009)
 
* [http://www.eloquentspace.net/blog/is-the-founder-of-ubuntu-a-male-chauvinist/ Is the founder of Ubuntu a male chauvinist?] by Dan Kelly (Sept 27, 2009)
 
* [http://mdzlog.alcor.net/2009/09/29/explaining-to-girls/ Explaining to girls] by [[Matt Zimmerman|Matt Zimmerman ]](Sept 29, 2009)
 
* [http://mdzlog.alcor.net/2009/09/29/explaining-to-girls/ Explaining to girls] by [[Matt Zimmerman|Matt Zimmerman ]](Sept 29, 2009)
 
* [http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/2009/09/mark-shuttlewor-1.html Mark Shuttleworth's Community Has No Women] by [[Carla Schroder]] (Sept 29, 2009)
 
* [http://blog.linuxtoday.com/blog/2009/09/mark-shuttlewor-1.html Mark Shuttleworth's Community Has No Women] by [[Carla Schroder]] (Sept 29, 2009)
* [http://www.junauza.com/2009/09/why-mark-shuttleworth-owes-foss-women.html Why Mark Shuttleworth owes FOSS women an apology] by Jun Auza (Sept 30, 2009)
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* [http://www.junauza.com/2009/09/why-mark-shuttleworth-owes-foss-women.html Why Mark Shuttleworth owes FOSS women an apology] by Jun Auza (Sept 30, 2009)
 
* [http://jonathancarter.co.za/2009/09/30/the-importance-of-saying-hi/ The Importance of Saying 'Hi'] by Jonathan Carter (Sept 30, 2009)
 
* [http://jonathancarter.co.za/2009/09/30/the-importance-of-saying-hi/ The Importance of Saying 'Hi'] by Jonathan Carter (Sept 30, 2009)
 
* [http://mairin.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/a-modest-proposal/ A Modest Proposal] by Máirín Duffy (Oct 13, 2009)
 
* [http://mairin.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/a-modest-proposal/ A Modest Proposal] by Máirín Duffy (Oct 13, 2009)

Revision as of 02:57, 31 July 2010

At Linuxcon 2009, Mark Shuttleworth, founder and Self-Appointed Benevolent Dictator For Life of the Ubuntu Linux project gave the keynote address. He said, in part, that the Linux community's work was “hard to explain to girls”.

Video of the talk was streamed live, so some people heard it who were not physically present at the event. A Flash video copy is available.

  • “A release is an amazing thing; I’m not talking about the happy ending..”: 3:02
  • “Your printer, and your mom’s printer, and your grandma’s printer”: 35:30
  • “we’ll have less trouble explaining to girls what we actually do" at 35:55

Issues

Shuttleworth's comments were examples of the following issues:

  • Condescension -- use of the term "girls" instead of "women" treats women in a condescending and infantilising way.
  • Othering -- the comments set "geeks" and "girls" as two separate groups, with "girls" as the Other.
  • Invisibility -- ignored the fact that many women are involved in Linux, or were in the keynote session at the time.
  • So simple, your grandmother could do it also featured, as well.

His use of "we" assumes that everyone in his audience is interested in impressing women.  As his audience would eventually include those who saw the recorded version of the talk, the audience could be understood to be all FLOSS developers.  This assumption would only work if all FLOSS developers were single heterosexual men or lesbians.

Apology

On 30 July 2010, Mark apologized in a blog comment for what was said at LinuxCon.

Responses