More Than a Name

ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange
Emma Jane Hogbin wrote an interesting blog about a recent experience she had in the Ubuntu online chatroom. In short, Emma Jane was uncomfortable with the username "stupidgirl," and subsequently felt dismissed when she shared her thoughts with other members in the Ubuntu staff room.
I probably wouldn't have given a second thought to the name "stupidgirl," especially considering it was a name someone chose. I certainly understand where Emma Jane is coming from, though – she will be talking about gender and technology at LugRadioLive this spring, so she's acutely aware of the representation of women in the open source community.
I found a few things particularly refreshing about Emma Jane's situation. First, she spoke up in the Ubuntu online staff room and said how she felt about the name "stupidgirl." She was pretty clear in her explanation and said, "I think I'm trying to advocate for friendly language."
Emma Jane's point didn't necessarily get across, as shown by a member's response, "... then be friendly and let someone call herself stupid if she wants." Even though she received a less than supportive response from staff room members, she didn't just drop the topic. I can't even count how many times I've been dismissed over the years and now wish I would have been more assertive or persistent, so I admire Emma Jane for re-evaluating her approach and tackling the topic again by going directly to "stupidgirl."
Emma Jane's new approach was to offer "stupidgirl" technical support while also sharing her opinion about the "stupidgirl" username. "Stupidgirl" decided to change her username, but even if she'd chosen to keep it, there's a notable difference between the interaction Emma Jane experienced in the staff room and the open communication she shared directly with the Ubuntu chatroom member.
As Emma Jane put it, "In the grand scheme of life, the universe, and everything, it is probably completely insignificant and irrelevant that I stepped up and asked for change. But it is the collective sum of our token actions that will make the difference in the end." Well said, Emma Jane.
comments powered by DisqusIssue 260/2022
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
System76 Teams up with HP to Create the Dev One Laptop
HP and System76 have come together to develop a new laptop, powered by Pop!_OS and aimed toward developers.
-
Titan Linux is a New KDE Linux Based on Debian Stable
Titan Linux is a new Debian-based Linux distribution that features the KDE Plasma desktop with a focus on usability and performance.
-
Danielle Foré Has an Update for elementary OS 7
Now that Ubuntu 22.04 has been released, the team behind elementary OS is preparing for the upcoming 7.0 release.
-
Linux New Media Launches Open Source JobHub
New job website focuses on connecting technical and non-technical professionals with organizations in open source.
-
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 Now Available
Ubuntu Cinnamon 22.04 has been released with all the additions from upstream as well as other features and improvements.
-
Pop!_OS 22.04 Has Officially Been Released
From the makers of some of the finest Linux-powered desktop and laptop computers on the market comes the latest version of their Ubuntu-based distribution, Pop!_OS 22.04.
-
Star Labs Unveils a New Small Format Linux PC
The Byte Mk I is an AMD-powered mini Linux PC with Coreboot support and plenty of power.
-
MX Linux Verison 21.1 “Wildflower” Now Available
The latest release of the systemd-less MX Linux is now ready for public consumption.
-
Microsoft Expands Their Windows Subsystem for Linux Offerings With AlmaLinux
Anyone who works with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) will now find a new addition to the available distributions, one that’s become the front-runner replacement for CentOS.
-
Debian 11.3 Released wIth Numerous Bug and Security Fixes
The latest point release for Debian Bullseye is now available with some very important updates.