A fairly fresh huffpost op-ed on this topic from none other than the CEO of Intel: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/acm-the-association-for-computing-machinery/you-start-doing-diversity_b_9933550.html
On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 11:29 AM, Daniel Vimont <dan...@commonvox.org> wrote: > Andrew -- It's encouraging to hear about your positive take on the overall > situation at Salesforce. I agree that one of the questions to consider is > that of how to encourage people of different genders and ethnicities (and > perhaps even ages!) to join us. To me, the easiest way to get an inkling of > how to do that is to look around and ask ourselves "what drew US into this > project"? It seems to me that what made US want to be here might similarly > entice OTHERS to want to join. That's why, in my original contribution to > this conversation, I stated why *I* am here. Unfortunately, I don't know > that there are any cookbook answers regarding how to recruit for HBase (and > other hadoop-related) technologies in specific workplaces. In workplaces > where people are *assigned* to work with HBase, the person to talk with > would probably be the assigner; in places where people more freely *choose* > their own roles (sounds like Salesforce is in this category), then focused > one-on-one evangelizing/recruiting might be appropriate. > > But I imagine that getting people initially intrigued at the prospect of > working with leading-edge technology is likely much easier than asking them > to join a team in which they are to play a Jackie Robinson-like role. A few > days ago, I traded some messages with a woman who recently left the entire > IT field a few months back (and had, in fact, most recently been working on > teams using hadoop-ecosystem technologies). She said she LOVED what she was > doing, but that 20 years of (1) often being the only woman in the room, (2) > having to constantly prove herself "worthy" of even being in the room, and > (3) having to deal with explicit threats, doxing, etc. in online work > situations -- all that wore her down until she finally quit a few months > ago. > > So now, Andrew, to get back to your question of what's keeping non-male > people from opting in to your HBase team, all I can do is guess that > perhaps nobody wants to be the sole woman sitting in the roomful of guys > (playing that potentially very uncomfortable "Jackie Robinson" role). But > your best bet is to approach some of the women that you think might make > the best candidates for your HBase team and simply ask them. That's sure to > get you much better data than my wild-assed guesses!! > > (If it turns out that my guess is correct and that nobody feels > comfortable being that trail-blazing "first woman" on the team, then try to > arrange for three or more ladies to be transferred in at the same time. > After that, the challenge would be to make sure that the environment is > safe and supportive for them, so they'll stick around. If that can be > maintained, then I would hope that they would become your next team of > evangelists, bringing others in and continuing a virtuous and organic cycle > of diversification and inclusion.) > > On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 2:30 AM, Andrew Purtell <andrew.purt...@gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Salesforce has a diverse workforce. I went there directly from Intel and >> have had occasion to participate in many more mixed gender work situations >> since moving over. I could go on about how Salesforce has a great culture >> but I'll spare you the tangent. (Smile) However those of us working in the >> various storage and compute platform groups here still have to make the >> case we're a good team to work on in an open internal hiring market. There >> are some direct to position external recruitments but they're in the >> minority. Two observations: >> - Even with an overall diverse workforce in our org storage is >> overwhelming staffed with males. I can count females on one hand and none >> are working on the HBase team. So what is it about Storage (or the people >> working on it) that do not make or counter an appeal? >> - If we want to increase team diversity - and we do, internally and out >> in the greater community - then we should be actively recruiting. How >> should that pitch go? >> >> >> > On May 16, 2016, at 12:49 AM, Daniel Vimont <dan...@commonvox.org> >> wrote: >> > >> > Stack & Sean -- Thanks for your positive responses to all this (and the >> > intriguing Mother Jones link). >> > >> > Will any of the HBaseCon2016 events be live-streamed? (I can't make it >> -- >> > an Osaka/SF round-trip was not in the budget this spring!) >> > >> >> On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 2:05 PM, Stack <st...@duboce.net> wrote: >> >> >> >> On Sat, May 14, 2016 at 7:18 PM, Daniel Vimont <dan...@commonvox.org> >> >> wrote: >> >> >> >>> The first step in working through a problem is acknowledging that >> there >> >> IS >> >>> a problem, so in that respect, this conversation is going well so >> far!! >> >>> Here are some thoughts (some of which are barely half-baked, so pardon >> >> the >> >>> "raw dough"). >> >>> >> >>> SHORT-TERM BRAINSTORMING >> >>> I know that HBaseCon2016 is very close, and all the speaking slots and >> >>> topic sessions are locked into place, but I do have a few suggestions: >> >>> >> >>> (1) At *several* points (not just once!) throughout the plenary >> sessions, >> >>> make a statement that this conversation has come up on hbase-dev, and >> >> it's >> >>> an issue that you think is worthy of our attention and discussion. (I >> >> think >> >>> we're just at the beginnings of a very long conversation, but just >> >>> announcing that the conversation is underway and inviting people into >> it >> >>> seems a good way to start.) >> >> >> >> We can do that. >> >> >> >> >> >>> (2) I see that Intel is sending four representatives to make >> >> presentations >> >>> (two women and two men!). Intel seems to be at the forefront of >> >>> diversification efforts in the broader IT community, having set its >> goal >> >>> for "full representation" in its workforce by 2020. If these Intel >> >>> presenters feel comfortable, it would be great to devote a few >> minutes in >> >>> one of the plenary sessions to allow them to informally talk about how >> >> the >> >>> Intel z is going from their >> >>> perspective, and whether that offers any lessons that might be >> applied in >> >>> the Hadoop/HBase ecosystems. >> >> >> >> Let me ask the Intel'ers who are coming to the conference. >> >> >> >> >> >>> (3) For HBaseCon2017, devote complete sessions to the issue of >> >>> diversification. (Perhaps invite Intel's Chief Diversity Officer, >> >> Danielle >> >>> Brown, to lead up some proactive discussions.) >> >> Yes. I like this suggestion. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>> LONGER-TERM STRATEGIZING >> >>> Stepping back to the generic questions of how and why to "recruit" new >> >>> contributors, perhaps this is where my "newbie" eyes can assist in >> >> taking a >> >>> fresh look at things, beginning with a big lead-in question: >> >>> >> >>> The current "staff" of the HBase project: how were we "recruited", and >> >> why >> >>> are we here? >> >>> >> >>> When I look at the contributors list, I see what I expect to see: >> Almost >> >>> all of the contributors are employees of companies that are the >> biggest >> >>> stakeholders in the HBase ecosystem, with the biggest number coming >> from >> >>> those companies that are existentially bound to the HBase/Hadoop >> >>> ecosystems, and a smaller number of contributors coming from companies >> >> that >> >>> make strategically vital use of HBase in their operations. My >> assumption >> >> is >> >>> that these companies are not magnanimous philanthropists, they're just >> >>> (quite appropriately) looking after their own vital interests. Bottom >> >> line: >> >>> this majority of contributors are *paid* to be here; their employers >> >>> "allow" them to spend a percentage (or maybe in some cases, all) of >> their >> >>> working hours tending to the care and feeding of the open-source >> golden >> >>> goose that keeps their proprietary enterprises going. >> >>> >> >>> And then there are people like me (likely in much smaller numbers) who >> >> are >> >>> here to beef up their expertise in current technologies in a way that >> >> also >> >>> gives them a publicly-displayed "portfolio" of work with which to >> >>> subsequently seek out paid engagements (of either the contract or >> >>> employment variety). I'm sure I don't fully buy into the prevailing >> >> wisdom >> >>> that "code is the new resume" and "just put your stuff out there on >> >> GitHub >> >>> -- WE'LL find YOU!!"; nonetheless, for the last several months I've >> been >> >>> setting aside my doubts and building just such a "portfolio". >> >> The above is a fair assessment I'd say. >> >> >> >> >> >>> So, if my take on the current "staffing" situation is approximately >> >>> correct, it suggests to me that the quickest path to "full >> >> representation" >> >>> in the HBase project is initially through conversations with the Human >> >>> Resources chiefs and the CEOs of the corporations that provide the >> >> majority >> >>> of this project's "staff". What initiatives are underway in these >> firms >> >> (1) >> >>> to recruit a diverse workforce and (2) to assure that once members of >> >>> underrepresented minorities are brought in, that they find themselves >> in >> >> a >> >>> safe, supportive environment in which they want to stay? Finally, if >> good >> >>> initiatives are already underway, what might be done to hasten the >> >> "trickle >> >>> down" from these initiatives into a more diversely-staffed HBase >> project? >> >> >> >> There was a call-to-arms a while back that echoed around the valley >> (Here >> >> is one origin story [1] that references this interesting looking >> project >> >> [2]). Where I work there is a special project afoot to work on problem >> #1, >> >> at least, from your list above. Ultimately it should translate into >> better >> >> numbers out here in projects like ours but I'm not sure improving >> presence >> >> in open source is a captured metric. Let me ask. >> >> >> >> St.Ack >> >> >> >> 1. >> >> >> >> >> http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/05/silicon-valley-gender-sexism-women-engineers-tracy-chou >> >> 2. https://github.com/triketora/women-in-software-eng >> >> >> >> >> >>>> On Sat, May 14, 2016 at 12:39 AM, Sean Busbey <bus...@apache.org> >> wrote: >> >>>> >> >>>>> On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 10:10 PM, Stack <st...@duboce.net> wrote: >> >>>>> On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 8:37 PM, Daniel Vimont < >> dan...@commonvox.org >> >>> >> >>>> wrote: >> >>>>> >> >>>>> >> >>>>> >> >>>>>> With regard to recruiting new contributors, I'll just toss out a >> >>>> question >> >>>>>> which I hope does not give offense: What can be done to encourage >> >> more >> >>>>>> gender-diversity in this project (and projects like it)? >> >>>>> Thank you for raising this 'awkward' question up here on the dev >> >> list. >> >>>>> >> >>>>> Our ratio is awful. I'm ashamed to cite numbers. >> >>>>> >> >>>>> I don't know what we can do to encourage participation. I'd be >> >>> interested >> >>>>> in any ideas others might have and would be up for acting them to >> try >> >>> and >> >>>>> make redress. >> >>>> >> >>>> >> >>>> Yes, thank you Daniel. This is an issue that weighs on me. The ASF in >> >>>> general has a demographic problem, and our particular corner of it >> >>>> seems particularly homogenous. >> >>>> >> >>>> I'm a firm believer in "can't fix what you don't measure." Stack do >> >>>> you have numbers from somewhere? I was looking at ways we could run >> an >> >>>> opt-in poll to get an idea of how our community looks outside of what >> >>>> I can already see in the committer and PMC ranks from meetups. >> >>>> >> >>>> I don't think there are any fast answers to this issue, but I think >> >>>> there are some things we could try doing that would help the project >> >>>> generally: >> >>>> >> >>>> 1) We could use better student outreach. Presuming we come up with >> >>>> some materials for trying to get students involved overall, we should >> >>>> get a few folks go out of our way to present those materials to >> >>>> student groups that try to provide space for folks who aren't in our >> >>>> dominant demographic. >> >>>> >> >>>> 2) Similar to #1, there are meetups (at least in my area) that try to >> >>>> make things accessible and comfortable for e.g. women. We could make >> a >> >>>> habit of presenting to these meetups in addition to our normal "big >> >>>> data" themed groups. >> >>>> >> >>>> 3) I've noticed that none of the meetups or conferences where I see >> >>>> HBase stuff have child care options. This doesn't only impact women, >> >>>> but it disproportionately impacts them due to societal expectations. >> >>>> We the community could start pushing folks to have something and we >> >>>> the PMC could perhaps push this a little harder, like we do the need >> >>>> for a Code of Conduct. >> >> >> > >
