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

 

On 17/01/08 18:49:10, Clare Shepherd wrote:
> 
> 
> I don't post often, but since there are so few of us females, I
> couldn't let Stinga's sweeping generalisations go unanswered. I've
> always enjoyed his posts, but maybe his post exemplifies why there
> aren't more women using Linux, attending meetings or bothering with
> Open Office. I don't think I've read such ageist, misogynist tripe
> since the 60s. There maybe may be a grain of truth in that women
> aren't interested in the minutiae of what processor,  how many cores
> etc. a particular pc or laptop may have. They just want to do stuff.
> But the analogy with cars is fatuous, I've driven all sorts of
> vehicles (including buses, 850cc motorcycles vans and several
> Jaguars, BMWs & Mercs) and driven for a living for a while, while
> studying for my accountancy exams, so don't give me (daughter of a
> mum who drove 8 wheel ambulances in the WAAF during the war) that
> women aren't interested in motors. It's just that guys have this way
> of excluding women and keeping the good stuff to themselves. Reading
> this sort of guff isn't going to encourage us either.
> Stinga said "Bottom line is 'I don't know'!", well you got that  
> right.
> 
> > and actually why would they, you only get 15 years and that's
> > it, to old to work after late 30's, everyone knows people older  
> than
> > late 30's their brains turn to mush... look at managers :-)
> 
> 
> As an accounts manager of 25 years standing and now a 61 year old
> retiree,  I feel you've now hit the jackpot. Are you really trying to
> 
> alienate your whole audience? Today, I read some emails over
> breakfast, read a bit of my online readers' Group read , "War and
> Peace", drove to the Acorn Centre, played badminton for two hours,
> came home had lunch, read over some notes for my Geology meeting on
> Saturday, practised my bassoon for 45 minutes, went to the Library's
> readers group and shared in a discussion of Hemingway's "Old Man and
> the Sea"- not bad for a mush-minded old biddy. What did you today?
> 
> Glad to have got this off my chest. Rant over. I'm sorry to have been
> 
> so angry, but I am very disappointed that this is the level of
> discussion here. I expected a more intelligent approach from the
> membership to Viv's post
> In sorrow,
> Clare
>

Sorry Clare, that it did not across as I wanted it to and I don't think  
I can put across in email.

It wasn't meant to be ageist/sexist or anything 'ist'.

My sincere apologies to you Clare and anyone else it offended, it  
wasn't meant to.

I thought I had covered my behind  with the 'sweeping statement'  
comment, it was all gross generalisations, but I thought we were  
talking about generalizations, there are always exceptions and those  
people are already using Linux, racing cars, sewing whatever.

I wont add anymore or try to explain what I was trying to say since  
that will just make a bigger hole for myself.

My apologies again, it was not meant to offend.

/me feeling quite sad, and wishing I hadn't replied with my thoughts...

-- 
'ooroo

stinga...(:)-)
---------------------------------------------------
Email: stinga@xxxxxxxxxxxxx      o
You need only two tools.        o /////
A hammer and duct tape. If it    /@   `\  /) ~
doesn't move and it should,     >  (O)  X<  ~  Fish!!
use the hammer. If it moves and  `\___/'  \) ~
shouldn't, use the tape.           \\\
---------------------------------------------------

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