
Meet India’s Women  Open Source Warriors - pm2016
https://factordaily.com/longform/meet-indias-women-open-source-warriors/
======
tomcooks
Hoping not to be mistaken as a chauvinist sshole, a set of honest questions I
hope someone (possibly affected by these problems) can help re get an answer
to: is it necessary to state your sex, gender, sexual orientation, race,
country, age or any other personal indicator when producing code?

Isn't tech beautiful exactly because what matters is problem solving, and
letting code be the ultimate super-partes judge?

Wouldn't it be easier to get rid of chauvinists and racists and ableists and
any other superset of dumbssess by removing these divisions? Wouldn't said
patriarchal idiots feel less threatened by certain groups, and possibly just
focus on being good at coding/designing/engineering? Wouldn't they stop
complaining about women or minorities being given a "special", "priviledged",
"snowflake" status (and the job offers/funds that come with these?)

Doesn't labelling lead to divisions, and ultimately help push for an orwellian
future by removing anonimity?

Again, honestly looking for answers and i'm AS FAR AS POSSIBLY IMAGINABLE from
the bro dude image that these questions might lead you to paint over me.

Rock on!

~~~
sharmi
> Isn't tech beautiful exactly because what matters is problem solving, and
> letting code be the ultimate super-partes judge?

This is exactly why I chose tech long before I even realized I needed to
choose a career.

Some of us have had great experiences in tech and have made wonderful friends.
I have blogged about mine at [1] (it's a bit rambling).

Unfortunately not all are so lucky. If it brings any solace, this is a
drawback found not only in tech but in other fields too. [2]

For what it's worth, I do not believe it is a problem specific to tech but
endemic to all industries. It is caused by the propensity of certain
individuals (men and women) to behave in a less than beneficial way towards
others due to mistaken beliefs, childhood environment, life experiences and in
very rare cases psychopathic tendencies. Talking about these issues helps us
learn from each other, to see the world from the others' perspective and to
broaden our views.

While we may have much less impact on the society as a whole, we still can
achieve greater impact within our tech community (atleast in comparison). A
small step in the right direction.

The progress of women (or any other minority) is spread across the spectrum,
with some achieving great success through extraordinary work while others are
unable to break the glass ceiling due to lack of experience, avenues and role
models. The need for role models and mentors is severely underestimated. They
show you what you can do, what you can become and how.

Lets not see tech communities targeted at specific minorities (for want of a
better word) as a "special" status but just as a stepping stone for mentoring
and guiding the lesser privileged individuals to gain the knowledge and skills
that their talents deserve, so that they can integrate with the rest of tech
community as equals.

[1] [https://www.minvolai.com/my-experience-in-tech-and-its-
refle...](https://www.minvolai.com/my-experience-in-tech-and-its-reflection-
on-women-in-tech-in-india/)

[2]
[https://www.ted.com/talks/naomi_mcdougall_jones_what_it_s_li...](https://www.ted.com/talks/naomi_mcdougall_jones_what_it_s_like_to_be_a_woman_in_hollywood)

~~~
tomtompl
So shouldn't we take more individualistic approach rather than see people
through the lens of the group they belong to?

This whole movement of women in tech etc. seems to me completely illogical -
you don't fight fire with fire.

Unless I am missing some hidden nobility in it?

------
romanovcode
Feminism has nothing to do with programming tho. Maybe that's why people were
upset that she started talking about it in programming-related forum?

------
sattoshi
>> […] gender stereotyping puts up in the world of software scripting. More so
in her chosen field of coding.

The terminology is annoying in this article.

