Re: Just a single Question for the Candidates
> Helen said "women are likely to be not so confident that their skills
> will allow them to survive in an environment like debian, compared to
> their male counterparts". And then, her explanation of what that
> "environment" amounted to, was that it was bullying and condescending
> to women.
Not bullying and condescending to women. Just bullying and condescending.
Note that it doesn't take very many people of this type to create an
impression.
> Now what's weird is that she says she has "never noticed overt sexism
> in my dealings with debian",
Indeed, which is why she talks mainly about covert sexism, i.e., people
being treated the way men are taught to interact with men, and assuming
that women will react the same way. (Of course people are individuals
and gender is not a one-and-only determinant of behaviour, but I'd say
the trends [and social training] are certainly there.)
> and has "never had a hostile experience
> with debian."
...
> Moreover, she criticizes Debian without *ever*, she says, having had
> any experience.
I'd wager she's observed it though. It's like saying, "I have a fear of
being mugged, yet I've never been mugged myself." Perfectly rational IMO.
> So she is assuming that men, because they are men, will be
> condescending and unkind, though she's never actually *seen* any such
> thing on Debian: sexist.
Ah yes, if you just replace "experienced" with "seen" (and emphasise it,
no less), it becomes a lot more convenient for you to argue against.
Unfortunately this is not at all what she said.
b.
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