[EuroPython] Lack of diversity within selected talks

[Nelle Varoquaux]

On Apr 15, 2014 3:25 PM, "Roberto Polli" <roberto.polli at babel.it> wrote:
>
> Hi @all,
>
> On Tuesday 15 April 2014 02:28:50 Lynn Root wrote:
> > For those of you who do not know me..
> Everybody.py knows you, Lynn!
>
> > - talk selection was/is being done blindly, as in no identifying
> > information about the speaker is revealed
> > -#2 there are very little women on that preliminary talk list slated to
> > speak
> > -#3 there are multiple selected speakers slated to give multiple
selected
> > talks
>
> > If you do not find a problem with item #2 and #3, please read this
> > article [1] about importance of diversity in a technical field.
> I agree diversity (of speakers/subjects) is a value, in every declination
> (we're not only our gender).
>
> I'm sure Guido van Rossum and Alex Martelli could have send ten (all award
> winning) talks. But a  two-rockstar conference doesn't mean a better
> conference for the community.
>
> I think the committee consider that, and made their choice.
>
> > Here are my suggestions to rectify this issue:
> > - limit speakers to only give one talk. Yes this means going back on the
> > original acceptance.
> imho we could gently ask to the selected speakers to give away one or more
> talk in favor of the others: limiting the talks to one is unfair at the
> moment. And I'm sure that we'll reach the same aim without forcing out
> anybody.
>
> > - reopen CfP and reach out to PyLadies globally to help get the word
> > out. As one of the main leaders of the global organization, I know this
> > did not happen originally.
> Not entirely fair, even for ladies awaiting for the final schedule.
> I agree instead to set gender quotas (eg. 40% minimum for the
less-represented
> gender). But imho rules should be set *before* the review process.

As a member of a "minority ", I feel very uncomfortable with such quotas,
and if you ask women in computer science around Europe, they tend to feel
the same way (this may be very different in North America, as we have two
very different cultures when coming to these subject). I want my proposal
to be accepted for my work and not because I'm a woman, and I don't think
I'll ever submit to a conference where such rules are applied.

I also think it gives a very negative image of women in science, specially
when the abstracts are just not good (an abstract accepted at pycon us
contained an error in the name of a python module *in the title* - it is
hard to take the talk seriously, and this is a disservice to do to the
speaker).

>
> > - re-review the talks. Give preference or help for those who would be
> > first time speakers.
> Agree to some precedence to first-time speakers and grow our community.
>
> > ..create general availability during the time that the CfP is reopened
> > to help those who want it craft a good proposal.
> imho again: reopening is unfair towards people who made their homework ;)
> During the review process, author had all the time to browse all
proposals and
> fix their one.
>
> > ... the blind selection ... the result is troubling...
> Identifying authors won't have changed anything, but in any case I'm on
the
> full-disclosure side.
>
> > But this email is to address what I feel needs to change.
> Thx for writing! Your contribution is always a precious spark!
>
> Peace,
> R.
>
>
> >
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/technology/technologys-man-problem.html?_r
> > =0 _______________________________________________
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>
> --
> Roberto Polli
> Community Manager
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