more gender at web conferences
another post on the gender at web conferences thing ("kerfluffle," as I called it before). also by a dude.
[we have a] project set up with the specific intention of finding new blood for [our conference]. We’ve invited people from outside our circle of expertise and interests and asked them to suggest speakers. The idea is to deliberately introduce diversity, to stir things up a bit and ultimately, to put together the most kick-ass line-up of speakers we can.
Is this tokenism? Absolutely not. I fully concur with Eric when he says:
What’s important is technical expertise, speaking skills, professional stature, brand appropriateness, and marketability.
But I don’t believe that this attitude conflicts in any way with the desire to increase diversity.
I don't really enjoy this topic because it intrudes on the idea that I can go drink beer and play pool with the boys any time I want. that's an idea that really only holds up when I'm not drinking beer or playing pool, but it persists in my head anyway. on the other hand, this topic thoroughly pisses me off; I'm on the "diversity is important and people are being excluded" side, but also the side that says "it's not a numbers game." read a post recently that brought up childcare issues--it's [more than just] tough to coordinate, and some women feel unprofessional when they bring it up. (via this post, which mentions the prohibitive cost of conferences to freelancers. and says, "it is becoming a 'circle jerk.'")
