Open Stack

I like the idea of asking directly. Maybe something like:

What do you think are the biggest barriers to participating in OpenStack
community?
What improvements would you like to see?

On Wed, Sep 2, 2015 at 7:50 AM, Doug Hellmann <doug at doughellmann.com> wrote:

> Excerpts from Eoghan Glynn's message of 2015-09-02 10:39:42 -0400:
> >
> > > > I've added all the categories identified in the 3 phases that were
> > > > previously agreed, and altered the questions somewhat. There are now
> 10
> > > > questions. I'm not keen to try to add any supplementary questions.
> > > >
> > > > Where I think we need to move beyond binary or simple data (country,
> age),
> > > > I have stayed with free text entry.
> > > >
> > > > I haven't yet written any introductory blurb about privacy
> protection, the
> > > > optional nature of the survey all the questions.
> > > >
> > > > Similarly, I haven't yet addressed any issues around how the survey
> should
> > > > be targeted. I'm leaning towards a surveying a subset of the
> population,
> > > > and trying to provide an incentive to participate (don't ask,
> haven't got
> > > > one yet), so as to reduce self-selection bias. Anyone with
> professional
> > > > knowledge in this area please speak up.
> > > >
> > > > I'm unlikely to make the next meeting, so I'm afraid I can only
> discuss
> > > > via email. We're running a little behind the original schedule, but
> I hope
> > > > to be able to engage the Foundation to commence the process of
> executing
> > > > the survey by the end of next week.
> > > >
> > >
> > > One area I always wonder about is English as a second language, does it
> > > hamper efforts to get engaged in the community? I suspect so and would
> like
> > > to find solutions for further inclusion.
> > >
> > > Can that be added if the goal of the survey is to identify areas where
> > > underrepresented people may be struggling?
> >
> > It's an interesting question, but may be somewhat problematic to
> > include in a survey.
> >
> > For one thing, there are many in the community (who I've worked with)
> > who would fall into that category of English-as-a-second-language
> > but would also have excellent proficiency in the language.
> >
> > So simply measuring the number of non-native-speakers doesn't necessarily
> > tell us much in terms of hampered participation.
> >
> > Also, it seems to cross the line between counting those with some innate
> > characteristic (gender, orientation, race etc.) into counting those with
> > an (assumed) lack of mastery of a skill needed to thrive in the
> community.
> >
> > Their proficiency can and will improve over time with sustained use. Also
> > the community can make allowances and level the playing field somewhat by
> > say promoting co-presenters for design sessions or mandating the use of
> > IRC as opposed to voice comms, but I would suspect that some bar in terms
> > of baseline English fluency will remain long-term.
> >
> > Cheers,
> > Eoghan
>
> Good points, Eoghan. Why not phrase the question directly?  Something
> like "Does the fact that the OpenStack community communicates
> primarily in English make it harder for you to participate?"
>
> Doug
>
>
> >
> > > Also, just to comment on the survey sampling, we got less than 30
> responses
> > > to our Women of OpenStack survey, so keep it in mind that we may not
> get
> > > meaningful data that you can act upon. We may need to dig into the
> > > Foundation data and enhance those profiles instead, if the goal is
> "find
> > > ways to reach underrepresented groups."
> > > Thanks,
> > > Anne
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Cheers,
> > > >
> > > > Roland
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Wed, 2 Sep 2015 at 11:42 Johnston, Tamara <
> Tamara.Johnston at emc.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > >> The Diversity WG is actively working on many things, including
> moving
> > > >> forward with our Data Diversity Plan that includes analyzing what,
> where
> > > >> and how we’re currently collecting this information, determining
> where to
> > > >> store this information, defining how to enable the core team to
> analyze
> > > >> and
> > > >> report on this data, so on and so forth.
> > > >>
> > > >> I support the stance the Foundation has taken in the past, which
> was to
> > > >> provide an open text field (and/or option to select “prefer not to
> say”)
> > > >> that enables a community member to, if they so choose, share their
> > > >> identity.  While we’re trying to better understand the makeup of our
> > > >> community we cannot limit the options they can choose from or ask
> what
> > > >> will
> > > >> likely be perceived as personal questions (do you identify as a
> gender
> > > >> minority).  We can either choose to use an open text field / prefer
> not to
> > > >> say approach or take the hybrid approach that Facebook has taken
> where
> > > >> they
> > > >> list 50+ identities but still have an open text field.  I suggest
> we stick
> > > >> with what the Foundation has been doing, as this will enable our
> community
> > > >> members to decide if they want to share their sexual identity and
> they’re
> > > >> not boxed into choosing X, Y, or Z.
> > > >>
> > > >> Regards,
> > > >>
> > > >> *Tamara Johnston*  |  Cloud Portfolio  |  EMC Global Services  |
> (C)
> > > >> 1-510-398-9114  |  (E) tamara.johnston at emc.com
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> From: Roland Chan <roland at aptira.com>
> > > >> Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 5:15 PM
> > > >> To: Stefano Maffulli <stefano at openstack.org>, "
> > > >> foundation at lists.openstack.org" <foundation at lists.openstack.org>
> > > >>
> > > >> Subject: Re: [OpenStack Foundation] [Diversity] re: Diversity
> Workgroup
> > > >> APAC 2015-08-27
> > > >>
> > > >> The existing data is being handled by another sub-team on the
> Diversity
> > > >> WG. I'm certainly keen to see it, but getting it isn't my focus.
> > > >>
> > > >> Regarding the opt-out capability, my intent is that every question
> is
> > > >> optional. The survey itself will require a one page intro where we
> address
> > > >> this and other privacy related issues.
> > > >>
> > > >> Roland
> > > >>
> > > >> On Wed, 2 Sep 2015 at 02:39 Stefano Maffulli <stefano at openstack.org
> >
> > > >> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >>> On 09/01/2015 08:53 AM, Amy Marrich wrote:
> > > >>> > I had sent this to a smaller section of the group but it deals
> with how
> > > >>> > the University of California asks the gender question and also
> includes
> > > >>> > sexual orientation.
> > > >>> >
> > > >>> >
> > > >>>
> http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/28/university-california-offers-six-choices-for-gender-identity/
> > > >>> >
> > > >>> > We may be able to get a hold of their survey as a possible
> guideline.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> At the beginning of 2014[1], the OpenStack Foundations started
> asking
> > > >>> its members to specify their gender. The intention was to start
> > > >>> measuring that aspect of diversity in order to improve it. Since
> the
> > > >>> gender issue is extremely new to society, there are lots of
> acronyms and
> > > >>> constant fluxes of differences among the non-binary genders. We
> decided,
> > > >>> after long debate and research, to use an open text form to specify
> > > >>> gender because that's the most flexible one. Any other system we
> found,
> > > >>> including the one from UC above, had criticism because the debate
> even
> > > >>> among scholars is not set.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> You may have noticed that the form to subscribe to the Summit for
> > > >>> example asks gender offering 4 options:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> - male
> > > >>> - female
> > > >>> - let me tell you
> > > >>>    > open form
> > > >>>
> > > >>> (I noticed now it's missing the very valuable 4th option "prefer
> not to
> > > >>> say", which I think may be useful to have even if the response is
> itself
> > > >>> optional)
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Has anybody looked at the historic data about gender from the
> members
> > > >>> database?
> > > >>>
> > > >>> /stef
> > > >>>
> > > >>> [1] A summary of that conversation is on my blog
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> http://maffulli.net/2014/02/05/tracking-gender-diversity-in-the-openstack-developer-community/
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> _______________________________________________
> > > >>> Foundation mailing list
> > > >>> Foundation at lists.openstack.org
> > > >>> http://lists.openstack.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foundation
> > > >>>
> > > >>
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Foundation mailing list
> > > > Foundation at lists.openstack.org
> > > > http://lists.openstack.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foundation
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Anne Gentle
> > > Rackspace
> > > Principal Engineer
> > > www.justwriteclick.com
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Foundation mailing list
> > > Foundation at lists.openstack.org
> > > http://lists.openstack.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foundation
> > >
> >
>
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