Adam Turoff [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] quoth:
*>
*>Perl Mongers, yapc and TPC have hit a point where putting volunteer
*>perlfolk behind the mongers table is an impossibility. As I see it,
*>brian brought booth staff to yapc this year. The tshirts, lanyards
*>and raffle tickets get sold whether the seller is male or female,
*>bearded or blonde.
You seem to be forgetting the flyer, circulating with a picture of "the
cute blonde". I'm actually rather surprised at the number of guys who have
objected to it...well, I guess there aren't that many women around and the
ones who are have already made their feelings known.
As I've said, it's not a big deal and your market is men, big whoop.
However, you cannot say in one breath that you are concerned about a lack
of women in Perl in one breath and market a 'cute blonde' as a spokesmodel
in another. Pick a card.
*>One issue remains: if the Perl Mongers are going to sell stuff at
*>these conferences, how do we do it? Bringing Amelia offends people
*>because she's a booth babe. Using volunteer monger staff irks the
*>conference promoter because the sales table acts an inopportune
*>place for everyone to congregate and generally get in the way.
The issue isn't with Amelia, personally or abstractly. The issue is
marketing someone to be something objectionable. It would seem, in
marketing and business, economic power can buy you a voice and maybe
someday that voice will be loud enough from both sides to prohibit such
marketing tactics. Would you hire Jeff Friedl to man the booth in a loin
cloth? No, 15 women isn't your market, 5,000 men are. People vote with
their wallets.
*>What's the solution? Don't sell tshirts? Hire less objectionable
*>male staff? Hire poor starving college students regardless of gender?
Perhaps not marketing her as *the cute blonde* [ which she is :) ] in
spite of the market as, I imagine, the market can see that for themselves.
Also, one could also have several mongers rotate through the booth while
getting paid for it. People generally rise to expectations. Maybe get that
bill guy to dress like a Hooter's girl.....
e.
