You appear to be suggesting that the commenters on this blog are responsible for every comment made by everyone in every Ubuntu blog. Feminists aren’t a hivemind, honest. The people here aren’t responsible for anybody’s language or behavior but their own; you can’t debate “some members of these communities” here.

Not at all—I was trying to suggest that this was actually not the case. geekfeminism.org appear to be one of the sources taking it the best.

I haven’t heard a feminist use the phrase “male chauvinist” since 1980. Do you have a link for that one? I’d love to point and laugh.

I don’t have the exact source—I read it on a blog somewhere when I first posted my comment on here, which is a few days ago now. Sorry, but I won’t be going through my history to find it.

“”I haven’t listened to the talk myself.” Why, then, do you know more about the talk than the people who were actually present, the people who have listened to the talk, and the people who have posted exact quotations of what was said?

I don’t believe I ever said I did. However, from the exact quotes that you mentioned, I’ve been able to piece together my opinion on the matter, which is really what I was attempting to share here.

Your comment came off as a bit hostile to me, which was in no way the reaction I was attempting to provoke—or had expected.

I haven’t heard a feminist use the phrase “male chauvinist” since 1980. Do you have a link for that one? I’d love to point and laugh.

“”I haven’t listened to the talk myself.” Why, then, do you know more about the talk than the people who were actually present, the people who have listened to the talk, and the people who have posted exact quotations of what was said?

I was at Open World Forum in Paris last week, and Mark gave the same talk that he gave at LinuxCon, according to someone who had attended both events. At Open World Forum he did not make this reference.

I didn’t witness the original remark so I’m not qualified to comment on whether it merits an apology, but I’ve always found modifying subsequent behavior more valuable than giving an formal apology, so I’m pleased to see that the comments have elicited a response.

Don’t get me wrong—I completely agree in the statement that Mark made a mistake (perhaps not as much a mistake as a brainfart), but I think it is going a bit far with some people calling Mark a sexist or a male chauvinist on some blogs.

I haven’t listened to the talk myself (I simply don’t have the time with my current work schedule), so I can’t comment on the context of the remark in question, but it seems like a bit of an overreaction on the part of some members of these communities.

I am, myself, male, and I have born witness to sexism in the FOSS community (I’m a long-term member of the Ubuntu community)—something I don’t accept or condone in any form, be it joking or not.

My stance on this issue in particular is that, sure, he made a mistake. People do that. I don’t, however, understand why Mark refuses to make a statement making it clear that he didn’t mean to offend anyone, which would appease me (and, I hope, most sane people in the world).