Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Current Approach Isn't Working (If the Goal is to Encourage Diversity Rather Than Corporate Public Relations Stunts)

Video download link



Summary: Why the current approach of monetary intervention (top-down) has not, in my experience, contributed to greater diversity in Free software communities

THE idea that money will solve every problem overlooks realities long suppressed by those claiming to help (for corporate Public Relations purposes rather than out of real concern). They're attentive to way to way they seem or look to the public, not racial or gender equality.



"The CoC is a very top-down approach that mostly empowers those at the top -- i.e. those who are already in positions of too much power. They seek to make it a taboo subject (too scary to even sceptically debate), using the very same instruments of control they do not wish to be questioned."Daniel Pocock has just touched this rather sensitive subject and I've decided to respond or interject with my personal views, separately, in the form of a video. We previously wrote or published (sometimes on behalf of anonymous ladies) several articles about the lesser-explored aspects of Outreachy [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. My views are largely shared by my wife, who worked hard to graduate with a Computer Science degree, uses GNU/Linux (Debian with KDE), and works in the profession that she studies not because of corporate sponsorship but because of all the hard work.

People in power are still white and male. They don't intend to let go or loosen their power any time soon, they just use "tokens"...



Biden McCain: Power Defends PowerMy personal view is that many who tutor in Outreachy are good and well-meaning people, but in order to really increase diversity we need to explore other ways. As Pocock rightly notes, the CoC isn't the way. In my experience, it mostly fosters censorship by large corporations, not women's participation. Misogyny is a real issue and it exists in both corporations and communities. The CoC is a very top-down approach that mostly empowers those at the top -- i.e. those who are already in positions of too much power. They seek to make it a taboo subject (too scary to even sceptically debate), using the very same instruments of control they do not wish to be questioned.

Recent Techrights' Posts

One Person's Take on Jef Spaleta, the New Fedora Project Leader
"With a little searching, I wonder what else may be found regarding Microsoft."
LLM Slop Has Virtually Killed unixmen.com and Many Other Sites
There's no longer any incentive to write real articles in there
Taking a Moral Stand Against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and the Worst Offenders/Facilitators
Any other stance would sidle with moral depravity or moral hazard
 
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, April 06, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, April 06, 2025
Links 07/04/2025: Leaving Gemini/smolweb and Mastodon Migrations
Links for the day
In Iraq, Windows 3.1 (Percent)
There's also zero
Links 06/04/2025: Flood, Cool Gemini Capsule, and Long Form
Links for the day
Links 06/04/2025: Science, Politics, and Pricier Goods
Links for the day
Sharp Declines for Microsoft Windows in Bangladesh (Pop. ~175,000,000), Big Gains for GNU/Linux
Microsoft Windows has been having a really hard time in poor countries
Links 06/04/2025: Fake Reviews, Privatisation Heists, and "AI" as Smokescreen for Impoverishing Humans
Links for the day
Links 06/04/2025: Many New Acts of Repression and Elements of Financial Depression
Links for the day
In Qatar GNU/Linux Rose From Under 1% to Over 4% in Two Years (or Over 5% If Counting ChromeOS)
It's a big improvement compared to what we saw last year
LLM Scrapers Are a Nuisance, But They're Also a Reminder It's Time to Make Your Site Static
Perhaps the best protection is the ability to endure surges
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, April 05, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, April 05, 2025
Links 06/04/2025: Attacks on Education, Fake Patents, and Fake (Illegal) Patent Courts
Links for the day
France: Apple and Microsoft Down, GNU/Linux Up to New Record Levels
How will tariffs against France impact things in the coming months?
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: What Was Reported to the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA)
We hope to finish this whole lot within a week, then move on to election, lobbying etc.
Links 05/04/2025: Tariffs Backfiring, YouTuber Arrested, X/Twitter Set to be Fined
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/04/2025: Offline is For Everyone, Copyright Colonialism, and More
Links for the day
Links 05/04/2025: TikTok Unsold (Still), Royal Society is Dead
Links for the day
Techrights Will Spend the Next Few Years Writing a Lot About Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)
It's a growing problem
The State of EPO Staff's Health in Rijswijk or The Hague
We're going to cover the EPO some more later in the month
NVIDIA Corp Lost 36% of Its "Value" Since Cheeto Inauguration, But "Gen Hey Hi" (GenAI) is Totally Not a Bubble
Selling loads of unneeded hardware based on hysterical hype; like selling shovels during a Gold Rush
GNU/Linux Growing in East Asia, Windows by Default No More?
GNU/Linux is now on the shelf
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux 'Articles' From Linux-Hostile LLMs
It is almost always negative things and nobody can be held responsible for it except the charlatans prompting the LLMs
Links 05/04/2025: Fentanylware (TikTok) "Sale Looks Highly Imminent" (US), Stock Market Drowning in Panic
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/04/2025: Moving Plants, No to Smartwatches, RAID Hygiene
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, April 04, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, April 04, 2025