This is way off topic from the subject line.

Hmmm, thought about this awhile before I responded.

My observation, a lot of women join computer tech mailing lists but tend to
lurk more than make comments.  I've been working in the computer industry
for over 20 years now, can remember the days of the internet being either
academia or gov't related, yet I can post something on a mailing list and
some snot nosed child responds with an RTFM/flame without thinking about
what I had posted.  Do I think it happens because I'm a woman, yes, am I
tired of "ripping them a new one", yes.

So I don't subscribe to many lists, I read this one via the web archive.

I started writing some scripts in Ruby several months ago.  I stumbled
across it while I was trying to do something with Perl Expect.  There is a
problem with the way Perl supports pty's that caused my script to fail,
however using Ruby expect, things "just worked".  Now I have a well worn
copy of "Programming Ruby" and I bug Sean(REXML) while I (try to) do stupid
things with XML.

I think y'all are doing fine with "getting out the word" about Ruby, just
keep sending updates to Freshmeat and Slashdot.  Perhaps you should includes
DaemonNews also, not everyone lives in a Linux/Windows world.

my US$.02 worth,

diana

> > > other ideas?
> > 
> > Yes: I'd like to see more women involved with Ruby, and I'm
> > considering (though haven't done it yet) making some kind of contact
> > with one or more women programmers' organizations to encourage them to
> > have a look at Ruby and its community.
> > 
> > I'd be very interested in hearing from any women on this
> > list/newsgroup on the question of what form such outreach might take.
> > It seems to me that there's no reason for this not to be among the
> > areas where Ruby breaks a familiar cycle or two.
> 
> I'll second that. There is a shortage of women in 
> computer science as in most engineering 
> disciplines.
> 
> I haven't done any studies, but I almost think that
> the female presence on this list is even less than
> the industry norm. Perhaps just a wrong impression
> on my part.
> 
> Hal Fulton

diana eichert
network systems analyst
org 9334
sandia national laboratories
soccer, softball and volleyball player
(computer nerds need exercise too!)
albuquerque, nm