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The Ada Initiative takes a different approachThe Ada Initiative takes a different approachPosted Feb 19, 2011 20:50 UTC (Sat) by geofft (subscriber, #59789)In reply to: The Ada Initiative takes a different approach by zander76 Parent article: The Ada Initiative takes a different approach
Sure, you do need to answer questions about whether you're male or female -- if you want people to talk about your work at all, they're going to need a pronoun to refer to you.
You could attempt to get people to use the wrong one, but this will get you in trouble if anyone who does know whether you're male or female or whatnot ever refers to you. (And you will need to pick one, either way.)
I'm not white, but I am male and I am from a relatively privileged race, and I'm not entirely happy that things are easier for me than average because of these two things. I don't like it that people subconsciously probably assume a little more competence from me when my e-mail address or Signed-Off-By line reveals my name. I want my work to be accepted on its own merits.
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The Ada Initiative takes a different approach Posted Feb 19, 2011 23:11 UTC (Sat) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]
Quite so. Also, I feel uneasy when my real name goes into anything for a terribly English reason: it feels too much like boasting.
The Ada Initiative takes a different approach Posted Feb 20, 2011 16:39 UTC (Sun) by Tet (subscriber, #5433) [Link]
You're a perfect example of why it doesn't matter. I spent years not knowing anything about you apart from the name "nix". But it really wasn't relevant. You could have been black, white, brown, yellow, male, female or something in between. I wouldn't have cared. You were clearly competent in the necessary areas, which was all that mattered.
The Ada Initiative takes a different approach Posted Feb 21, 2011 19:34 UTC (Mon) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]
Exactly. Real names don't matter: *consistent* names and no sock-puppeting matter (so that you can build up a reputation, for good or ill). The 'must use your real name' things are unenforceable anyway, because people can say their real name is anything they like: as PaXTeam (I think) has pointed out, it is almost certain that things have got into the kernel under pseudonyms simply because the chosen pseudonyms looked like real names. So this sort of policy discriminates against those who have honest reasons to want to use a pseudonym, while not deterring bad actors one bit.
(For that matter, people have -- repeatedly -- referred to me using the wrong gendered pronoun. Huge innate differences between men and women, my foot.)
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