On Sun, Mar 28, 2010 at 5:36 AM, Bert Freudenberg <b...@freudenbergs.de> wrote:
> On 28.03.2010, at 07:54, kirby urner wrote:
>>
>> I tried introducing "FOSS witch" on Diversity (python.org) and
>> appeared to get no takers.
>>
>> Hacker, pirate, wizard, geek, dictator... but not witch.
>
> Google for "haecksen".
>
> The German word for witch is "Hexe", plural "Hexen". The German pronunciation 
> of "Haeckse" is almost identical to "Hexe". It was created as a play on the 
> word "Hacker" which is masculine in German, the canonical femininum would be 
> "Hackerin" (i.e., 'hacktress'). But "Haeckse" is much more playful and 
> creative so this is how some women in the CCC started to call themselves. 
> Also it sounds decidedly unixy, some old-school hackers still insist the 
> plural of "unix" is "unixen" and the boxes running them are "boxen".
>
> Since "witch" nowadays has a generally positive connotation (not the least 
> because of J.K.Rowling's and other's books) it at least elicits a giggle when 
> telling girls about this. In Germany anyway.
>
> - Bert -

Very cool Bert, and also encouraging.

Thx!  I'll share with other members of the coven.  :)

Kirby
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