[Edu-sig] [OT] Re: Dreaming in Code by Scott Rosenberg (2007)

[Bert Freudenberg]

On 28.03.2010, at 07:54, kirby urner wrote:
> 
> I tried introducing "FOSS witch" on Diversity (python.org) and
> appeared to get no takers.
> 
> Hacker, pirate, wizard, geek, dictator... but not witch.

Google for "haecksen".

The German word for witch is "Hexe", plural "Hexen". The German pronunciation of "Haeckse" is almost identical to "Hexe". It was created as a play on the word "Hacker" which is masculine in German, the canonical femininum would be "Hackerin" (i.e., 'hacktress'). But "Haeckse" is much more playful and creative so this is how some women in the CCC started to call themselves. Also it sounds decidedly unixy, some old-school hackers still insist the plural of "unix" is "unixen" and the boxes running them are "boxen".

Since "witch" nowadays has a generally positive connotation (not the least because of J.K.Rowling's and other's books) it at least elicits a giggle when telling girls about this. In Germany anyway.

- Bert -