On 28 October 2013 18:19, Jenny Ryan <tunabananas@gmail.com> wrote:

"Free as in Sexist?" Free Culture and the Gender Gap, by Joseph Reagle (2013)
http://www.firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/4291/3381

Happy to discuss further,

I'd like to point out the numerous fallacies and mis-characterizations in the piece, and particularly in the stated argument, but I fear the accusation of misogyny. ;-)

Cheers,
Tom

p.s.

I agree with the author's general point, (of which you hardly need an appeal to statistics to comprehend the magnitude of the disparity), that the development of software which has such impact globally, should be done by a group with such a narrow range of values, is enormously undesirable.

However the material is just re-hashing the narrative of socially inept men victimizing women, because of their own inadequacies.

The message from society, both culturally and economically, is that it's fine to be a sweaty basement dweller, and we will forgive you for your various socialization issues, as long as you produce economically valuable technology by the bucket load.

The current society values goal orientated behaviour more than it values equality of opportunity, and certainly more than if values equality of outcome. 

So while there is left wing hand wringing, and papers in sociology journals entitled "How do we fix this disparity?", the rest of society (those with the money, those with the power) are tacitly approving and generating enormous financial and social incentives to reinforce the situation.