D&C GLug - Home Page

[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Why are there so few women in our LUG - does this indicate there are few female Linux users ?

 

Viv wrote:
> I know that this may bring forth some contraversial comments but, am
> genuinely interested in what people think about this.
> 
> We don't seem to have very many female members - off hand, I can't think
> of more than Clare, Gemma and myself (I apologise if I have missed
> anyone). However, certainly we are in a significant minority.
> 
> I don't know if this is just our LUG or if this reflects the proportion
> of female Linux users overall.
> 
> Members (male ones) have often commented that they find it difficult to
> get their partners to migrate over to Linux. Is there something about
> Linux that makes it "female unfriendly ? If there is, I don't know what
> it is ? I have seen some comments on other forums that this is because
> you need to be intelligent to use Linux obviously treat these sort of
> comments with the contempt that they deserve.
> 
> We would all like to see more and more people use Linux and drop Windows
> (I assume this is a majority view, anyway ?). But, if women are saying
> "no to Linux", this will keep Windows as the dominant OS for some time
> to come. 
> 
> I think Linux is far superior to anything other OS I have tried and feel
> a bit frustrated that more people are not giving it a try.
> 
> What are your thoughts ?

Viv,

It does not help that schools use Windows exclusively or so our daughter 
who teaches tells me. This means that the school environment is not 
conducive to Linux. Our elder granddaughter at Uni tells me the same 
thing. She is obliged to use Windows for assignments. I suspect that 
Open Office would work just as well if one could get the students to try 
  it and Linux.

John

-- 
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list
FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html