Comment Re:Sex, Men, Women, Open Source (Score 1) 589
Open culture is people who are hacking not just software, but also the society that we live in. There is a school of thought that what we are about is "just software." I have always believed that this is just as much about ideas that we live by, as it is about the software.
As for "what does OSS have to do with romance?" -- you've missed the context, I think. We were talking about women in open source software, and what it takes to create an environment that is safe for women in the Open Source Software world. That is the correct context, so then the question would be: "What does romance have to do with women in open source software?" And my response would be: "I think a lot."
Here's my explanation:
I have observed, both within myself and others, that there are a lot of (shall we say:) geeks and nerds in our group. Yes, there are a great many socially capable men who have lots of girlfriends and an abundance of romance in their lives. I observe that these programmers are *not* the ones who are making a hostile environment for women.
Where I see men making Open Source software unsafe or unattractive to women, I find men who have frustrations with women.
What are those frustrations about?
In my opinion, they are about sex and love and romance.
On the flip side, from the perspective of women: I have talked with women who have wanted to learn to program, who have felt an attraction to the field. "But when we ask the guys to help, they fall in love with us." These are words that I heard first from a woman's mouth. I would not have guessed, but it makes sense. "We just want to be friends, learn to program, and get good jobs."
Okay. "But don't you see that these boys, guys, and men that you want to learn from -- don't you realize that many of these men have gained what they have had, because they were wounded in love, and found refuge in programming?"
"Yes, but it's not my fault or responsibility."
"True, I agree; But you do need to understand the situation and move accordingly."
My belief is that love and sexual desire are the hidden nervous system that we never talk about. If you look underneath the resentments, I don't find "misandry" or "misogyny;" Rather, I find frustration in love and romance.