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Introducing Passion Projects

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Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#3
Tech should be friendlier to women.

However, segregation isn't the way forward, IMHO. I'm always sad to see gender-focussed events and groups. I'd much rather see women and men -integrate- than congregate within their own gender.

And just to pre-empt, please don't give me the disingenuous "men are welcome too" line. This is, by definition, a women-focussed group.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#4
post #3

Tech should be friendlier to women. However, segregation isn't the way forward, IMHO. I'm always sad to see gender-focussed events and groups. I'd much rather see women and men -integrate- than congregate within their own gender. And just to pre-empt, please don't give me the disingenuous "men are welcome too" line. This is, by definition, a women-focussed group.

Women are underrepresented in technology. This event is to help promote the potential as well as accomplishments of women in technology.

I fail to see how this is segregation, they make no claim that this series is to be representing everyone, just highlighting women. It is an event focused on women's roles in technology and available to the community.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#5
post #3

Tech should be friendlier to women. However, segregation isn't the way forward, IMHO. I'm always sad to see gender-focussed events and groups. I'd much rather see women and men -integrate- than congregate within their own gender. And just to pre-empt, please don't give me the disingenuous "men are welcome too" line. This is, by definition, a women-focussed group.

From the sounds of it the talks are all given by women, but men can come to see them. So not segregation.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#6
It is brilliant to see a move forward to recognising that there are women in technology and they provide as good a contribution as everybody else,

BUT,

Is creating a specific, segregated, event/group really the way forward or is it just creating a greater divide in the tech community along gender lines? What would really need to be done is look properly into why there is a disproportionate number of men versus women who go into technology, rather than introduce yet more segregation.

I do not believe that there is an event/group out there currently that would place any sort of restriction, intentional or otherwise, on female entry.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#7
post #3

Tech should be friendlier to women. However, segregation isn't the way forward, IMHO. I'm always sad to see gender-focussed events and groups. I'd much rather see women and men -integrate- than congregate within their own gender. And just to pre-empt, please don't give me the disingenuous "men are welcome too" line. This is, by definition, a women-focussed group.

Women are underrepresented in technology. This event is to help promote the potential as well as accomplishments of women in technology. I fail to see how this is segregation, they make no claim that this series is to be representing everyone, just highlighting women. It is an event focused on women's roles in technology and available to the community.

By the self-centered logic of the OP, even if a minority group has only 0.1% representation, they should have no events targeting specifically them and their causes -- the 99.9% majority should be able to attend, and presumably contribute to the conversation with no ability of the event's organizers to moderate the dialog or direct the focus to the minority's experiences. Anything less than that is segregation.

It doesn't occur to the OP, apparently, that they are trying to create something that is decidedly different from the ordinary tech experience -- a conversation dominated by awkward-to-arrogant, entitled males who think that their very important opinions need to be heard everywhere and at all times.

I wonder if the OP (presumably male) insists on attending (female) rape survivor meetups, or if he could understand why attendees thereof would not feel totally comfortable with his attendance.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#8
post #6

It is brilliant to see a move forward to recognising that there are women in technology and they provide as good a contribution as everybody else, BUT, Is creating a specific, segregated, event/group really the way forward or is it just creating a greater divide in the tech community along gender lines? What would really need to be done is look properly into why there is a disproportionate number of men versus women…

> What would really need to be done is look properly into why there is a disproportionate number of men versus women who go into technology, rather than introduce yet more segregation.

This isn't some big mystery. At least one reason that women don't enter technology fields is a lack of female role-models. Another is societal pressure that dictates that women are bad at technology.

Technology conferences focusing on women aren't just for the participants, they help counteract these two forces by giving visibility to notable women in tech.

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.ca/2006/03/women-need-fe...

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-03/21/where-have-al...

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#9
post #6

It is brilliant to see a move forward to recognising that there are women in technology and they provide as good a contribution as everybody else, BUT, Is creating a specific, segregated, event/group really the way forward or is it just creating a greater divide in the tech community along gender lines? What would really need to be done is look properly into why there is a disproportionate number of men versus women…

Yes it is a way forward, as explained in the blog post under the section "Why?". And there is clearly unintentional restriction, otherwise we wouldn't need this in the first place.

Re: Introducing Passion Projects

#10
post #6

It is brilliant to see a move forward to recognising that there are women in technology and they provide as good a contribution as everybody else, BUT, Is creating a specific, segregated, event/group really the way forward or is it just creating a greater divide in the tech community along gender lines? What would really need to be done is look properly into why there is a disproportionate number of men versus women…

I think their "Why" section addresses this pretty well: they believe one of the underlying reasons there aren't more women in tech is the lack of visibility for women already there: young women see a male dominated field and feel like they're not welcome, and so perpetuate the problem. By highlighting the existing women in tech, more young women will feel welcome there.
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