Ubuntu Wiki

This page is to help me develop my Ubuntu Live and Spanish Ubucon presentations on the Ubuntu Women's Project. For Ubuntu Live I sent in two proposals.

==================== Proposal Information ====================

Title: Why Do We Need an Ubuntu Women's Project?

Conference: Ubuntu Live Conference

Type/Duration: Other

Audience Level: Novice

Audience Type: Community Members, educators, girl geeks, anyone interested in encouraging women in FOSS

Description: To quote from the Ubuntu Women's Project website:

"Ubuntu-Women is a team functioning under Ubuntu to provide a platform and encouragement for women to contribute to Ubuntu-Linux, a Debian based free and open-source GNU/Linux software. Our main role will be along the lines of supplementing and being the stepping stone toward the larger Ubuntu-Linux world. Membership is open to all.

An EC funded study (2006) summarized in the Flosspols report, indicates that about 1.5% of FLOSS community members were female, compared with 28% in proprietary software. The Ubuntu Census Survey (June 2006) also reflects a similar female ratio with 2.4% women actively volunteering in the Ubuntu community.

Ubuntu-Women is the first step in trying to usher in change by increasing the visibility and contribution of women by providing mentoring and role models, and creating opportunities for collaboration with new and existing Ubuntu volunteers."

A general history of the project will be outlined and reasons why members feel a need for the project will be presented. The session will focus on the goals of the project and ask for audience participation in generating new ideas to help advocate those goals.

Description Short: The Ubuntu Women's project is a growing group of volunteers interested in promoting women&amp's involvement in F/LOSS communities. By understanding its history and goals, all are encouraged to help to offer their ideas to the project. We will discuss why members feel a need for the project and ways to advocate its goals.

Speaker bio: Belinda Lopez is a Senior Learning Architect and independent consultant in the training and development field. For the past decade she has helped create innovative learning solutions for everyone from preschoolers to astronauts. Before moving into the Open Source world, she was an Instructional Designer and Curriculum Developer in the Human Spaceflight Training program at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Prior to that amazing experience, she worked in the Center for Technology in Teaching & Learning at her alma mater, Rice University. Belinda has been following the Ubuntu Linux project for over a year, being drawn into the project by the potential to use Ubuntu in education and learning environments. She has since become active in the Ubuntu Women's Project and hopes to encourage others to become more active in the various Open Source communities.

Speaker notes and comments: Belinda will be speaking based on her own experiences and not officially representing the Ubuntu-Women's project or any other group. She is a member of the Ubuntu-Women's Project and will be asking for input from the group for her topic.

==================== Proposal Information ====================

Title: Real Women, Real World Experiences in FLOSS/Ubuntu

Conference: Ubuntu Live Conference

Type/Duration: Panel Discussion

Audience Level: Novice

Audience Type: All, IT Professionals, Managers, Community

Description: This topic was developed in conjunction with members of the Ubuntu Women’s Project. From outright discrimination to subtle teasing or even just self-doubt, being a minority in any community can be isolating and often frustrating. Everyone had a story to share but we wanted to go beyond that and ask, "How can we use those experiences to present information to the greater community?" By using real world experiences we want to share our history and let others know that they are not alone in their challenges in the FLOSS world.

The Ubuntu Women's Project is focused on creating a welcoming environment for other women who are new to Ubuntu and the FLOSS world. One of the reasons I personally believe that so many are drawn into Ubuntu is because of the Code of Conduct (CoC). The CoC helps provide a level playing field for all members of the community regardless of race, gender, creed, technical ability or other factors.

We want to spend the next few months gathering these stories and put together a panel discussion to share personal stories and ways to overcome these challenges. By making others aware of these issues we hope to help encourage greater participation of women in FLOSS/Ubuntu.

Description Short: This topic was developed in conjunction with members of the Ubuntu Women's Project. From outright discrimination to subtle teasing or even just self-doubt, being a minority in any community can be isolating and often frustrating. Everyone had a story to share but we wanted to go beyond that and ask, "How can we use those experiences to present information to the greater community?"

Speaker notes and comments: Ideally, this would be a panel discussion with members from the Ubuntu Women's Project and other female leaders in IT. This could also be a general BOF or short presentation by myself.