[sudo-discuss] "Free as in sexist?" Free Culture and the Gender Gap

[Tom Hodder]

On 28 October 2013 18:19, Jenny Ryan <tunabananas at 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.
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