Hi everyone,
I'm so glad this topic has been raised because I think it could be valuable in the long term! Phil mentioned:
"I would like us to gather this optional data and publish the statistics. I hope that this will encourage others to do so as well. Doing that will shed light on the problems we have and the problems we don't have, and enable all of us to work together."
I agree, Phil!
One of the constant refrains in technology is that there are not "enough" women (how many women are "enough" women, one wonders); at tech conferences there are not "enough" women and there is not "enough" diversity in general. A great starting point in solving these problems or at least in understanding them better seems to be in gathering some relevant data. (For example, when we say there are not "enough" women in technology, it's important to think about questions like, "How many women are graduating with degrees relating to technology?" "How many women are applying for technical jobs?" "What percentage of women are in leadership roles within the field?" ... These questions can help to identify what the true obstacles may be, weeding them out from opinions and hyperbole.)
I think that it could be important and relevant to gather this information not only for SCALE -- because this would be really useful information to have when answering questions about the diversity of the event, which is a topic that always, always comes up -- but for other conferences as well.
I have seen a huge increase in diversity at SCALE over the years but it seems to be an area that always needs improvement. We can't move forward meaningfully without first identifying the areas that truly need improvement. Also, it's just really interesting to gather data.
Now what can be done to address the question of whether or not "enough" geeks attend? :)
- Jenn