feminism & open source contribution
DESCRIPTION
How can we change the models of open source contribution to be more open and equal? Given at Write/Speak/Code on June 22, 2012. Animated cat gif will not animate on Slideshare, for full effect visit http://bit.ly/10HQ8ycTRANSCRIPT
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Corey Latislaw @corey_latislaw
Pam Selle @pamasaur
Slides:
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Challenge old models with
new thought patterns.
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What does it look like?
• Writing tests
• Writing documentation
• Cleaning up bad code
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Feminism
Current Model
New Model
What you can do
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"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people. -Rebecca West
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"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes"
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Different flavors of feminism
Intersectionality
In open source
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"[Women] are not sure if other community members will treat them respectfully, prefer not to be the only woman in the group, or are uncertain about embarking on the solitary exploration typically needed to get up to speed in open source.
-Zhurakhinskaya
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"...hindrances to participation includ[e] a lack of mentors and role models, discriminating
language usage, a male–dominated competitive world view, and a lack of women–centered
perspectives.
-Reagle
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"Contrary to what we would like to believe, there is no such thing as a 'structureless' group. Any group of people of whatever nature coming together for any length of time, for any purpose, will inevitably structure itself in some fashion. The structure may be flexible, it may vary over time, it may evenly or unevenly distribute tasks, power and resources over the members of the group. But it will be formed regardless of the abilities, personalities and intentions of the people involved. The very fact that we are individuals with different talents, predispositions and backgrounds makes this inevitable."
-Freeman
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"Paying your dues
Traditional devaluation of women's work (teaching, art, etc.)
Bias against empathy
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[O]pen source culture is not feminist. Feminism is fundamentally about equality for everyone, not just women, and designers of any gender are just as alienated as women programmers, because it’s not an equally welcoming environment.
-Trapani
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Low participation diverse populations
Low polish
Low testing
Low documentation
Low engagement of users
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Abrasive emails
Flamewars
RTFM
Hostile environments
Microaggressions
Apathetic / silent allies
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How can we make this better?
What’s missing?
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Warmth
Mentorship
Stewardship
User/design focus
Open discourse
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Encourages traditionally underrepresented groups to participate.
Provides a healthy space for criticism of the work product (not the people).
Pathway for newbies to contribute in ways that interest them (coding, UX, PM, technical writer, etc.).
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"Let them know you're happy they're here, show them around the place, help them with their question or problem, and let them know how they can give back to the community.
-Trapani
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Clear pathways for contribution
Conversion of new contributors to regular contributors
Pair programming
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Answering questions and being accessible to new and regular contributors.
Managing resources
Identifying strengths and interests
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Architecture
"Prioritize design and usability upfront, rather than accept a mess of software with plans to slap a pretty veneer on afterwards. This is been the lesson I keep having to learn and re-learn: design and usability cannot be an afterthought."
-Trapani
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Clear communication
Community-approved standards
Accessible and open forums (lists, IRC, wikis)
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Lay out a clear path for contribution
Have resources and tools for new contributors
Keep current contributors engaged
Code of conduct
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https://django-admin2.readthedocs.org/en/latest/contributing.html
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Conflict happens
Communities are people
Image Source
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Contribute requested features
Contribute what’s missing
Engage with community on IRC/lists
Answer questions
Mentor new people
Improve onboarding
Join a core team
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You are an expert.
You have something valuable to share.
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Existing "rules" aren't what they seem
We can do better
You can help us do better
Rock on!
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Pam Selle
@pamasaur
thewebivore.com
github.com/pselle
@corey_latislaw
coreylatislaw.com
github.com/colabug
Corey Latislaw
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Books http://tinyurl.com/feministreading
Lists http://bitly.com/bundles/pamasaur/1
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Trapani, G. Designers, Women, and Hostility in Open Source. http://smarterware.org/7550/designers-women-and-hostility-in-open-source
Reagle, J. Free as in Sexist? http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4291/3381
Freeman, J. The Tyranny of Structurelessness http://flag.blackened.net/revolt/hist_texts/structurelessness.html
Zhurakhinskaya, M. Opening Open Source to Women http://www.women2.com/opening-open-source-to-women/