ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Coming soon: Dutch PHP Conference 2010

Apr 06, 2010 GMT

This summer Lorna Mitchell is hosting the Dutch PHP Conference. She says that the percentage of women who attended last year's event was up, but it was still relatively low at only 3 percent. The list of 2010 speakers includes PHP Women co-founder Elizabeth Naramore, who will talk about Technical Debt and Technical Writing 101. Melanie Rhianna Lewis will present on Writing a PHP Extension in C and Web Services for Consumer Devices. Tickets are still available for this June PHP event in beautiful Amsterdam.

K-12 Computer Science – Barriers (and how to overcome them)

Mar 30, 2010 GMT

Earlier today I was inspired by maddog's blog post about his efforts to get open source into high schools in his area, so when I received an afternoon email describing the summer offerings at my daughter's school, I responded with a reminder that I'm eager to help get technology thrown into the mix of Latin, Algebra, and art offerings. I have visions of a rainy summer afternoon spent taking apart computers or putting together web pages with a group of tween girls dancing through my motherly head.The Anita Borg Institute posted a new study on their site today, New Report from Anita Borg Institute, CSTA and University of Arizona Addresses Equity Issues in K-12 Computer Science Educations....

A is for Ada. And Assertive.

Mar 24, 2010 GMT

 Over the past two years, two months, and two days, I've blogged regularly about the achievements of women in technology and science, particularly women in open source. More recently, I've interviewed more than two-dozen inspiring women. Today I get to kick back and enjoy stories from other folks about the women who inspire them.In the spirit of Ada Lovelace Day, I'd like to honor women in technology who assert themselves, including all the women who have yet to do so.  Being assertive doesn't mean being fearless – it means you do it anyway. If you have yet to assert yourself by speaking up in a meeting, proposing or writing an article for publication, participating in or...

Deadline extended: Ubuntu User illustrator wanted

Mar 22, 2010 GMT

Earlier this month I announced that we are looking for a new artist to illustrate Ubuntu User magazine. This announcement was followed by the soothing sound of crickets chirping.I've decided to extend the call for artists for another week because maybe I wasn't very clear in my first call: You do not have to be a professional artist. If your art is chosen to run in the magazine, you will get fame and fortune (well, at least you'll get published, get credit, and get paid). Here are the dirty details again, with the new & improved deadline:Our artist, Curt, is ready to pass the torch on...

ROSE Blog Interviews: Margarita Manterola, Debian Developer

Mar 18, 2010 GMT

Debian Developer Margarita Manterola recently threw her hat into the ring to be the next Debian Project Leader. Surprisingly, she was the first woman ever to do so. Join me in congratulating her for nominating herself and wishing her Good Luck!Q: Who are you? A: My name is Margarita Manterola. I'm a 30-year-old Software Developer from Argentina. I develop mostly in Python, but also in other languages, such as C or PHP. I teach programming at my local university. I've been married for five years to Maximiliano Curia, who is a System Administrator and a Debian Developer, like me.Q: What do you currently do in open source and what do you love about it?A: I do many things with Open Source. I...

Women Represented in List of 50 Most Powerful Voices

Mar 17, 2010 GMT

Last year I couldn't find a woman on the MindTouch list of Most Influential People in Open Source. Today MindTouch released their list of 50 Most Powerful Voices in Open Source and I'm happy to say that women make up 12 percent of the new list: #15: Shelly Roche #27: Miriam Tuerk #39: Pia Waugh #41: Cheryl McKinnon #43: Lynne Pope #44: Jennifer Conley Let me know if I'm missing any women off the list – some of us have gender-neutral names (I've been called Mr. Kite in email more than a few times).

Libre Graphics Meeting 2010: Talks wanted

Mar 15, 2010 GMT

The Libre Graphics Meeting 2010 will be held May 27-30 in Brussels:LGM 2010 gives software developers, artists, designers and other graphics professionals the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other. LGM emphasizes the sharing of collective creativity, innovation and ideas and is free for everyone to attend.To submit a talk, visit: http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Conference_2010/Submit_TalkTalks can range from 5-minutes long to 30 minutes. Check out these links for samples of previous...