Corey Pam Slides :

Challenge old models with new thought patterns.

What does it look like? Writing tests Writing documentation Cleaning up bad code

Feminism Current Model New Model What you can do

"Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.” -Rebecca West

"the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes"

Different flavors of feminism Intersectionality In open source

"[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

"...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

"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

"Paying your dues” Traditional devaluation of women's work (teaching, art, etc.) Bias against empathy

[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

Low participation diverse populations Low polish Low testing Low documentation Low engagement of users

Abrasive s Flamewars RTFM Hostile environments Microaggressions Apathetic / silent allies

How can we make this better? What’s missing?

Warmth Mentorship Stewardship User/design focus Open discourse

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.).

"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

Clear pathways for contribution Conversion of new contributors to regular contributors Pair programming

Answering questions and being accessible to new and regular contributors. Managing resources Identifying strengths and interests

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

Clear communication Community-approved standards Accessible and open forums (lists, IRC, wikis)

Lay out a clear path for contribution Have resources and tools for new contributors Keep current contributors engaged Code of conduct

Conflict happens Communities are people Image Source

Contribute requested features Contribute what’s missing Engage with community on IRC/lists Answer questions Mentor new people Improve onboarding Join a core team

You are an expert. You have something valuable to share.

Existing "rules" aren't what they seem We can do better You can help us do better Rock on!

Pam thewebivore.com coreylatislaw.com github.com/colabug Corey Latislaw

Books Lists

Trapani, G. “Designers, Women, and Hostility in Open Source.” and-hostility-in-open-source Reagle, J. “Free as in Sexist?” /3381 Freeman, J. “The Tyranny of Structurelessness” ss.html Zhurakhinskaya, M. “Opening Open Source to Women” women/