Paradoxes of Openness: Trans Experiences in Open Source Software
Author(s)
Frluckaj, Hana
Stevens, Nikki
Howison, James
Dabbish, Laura
Date Issued
November 8, 2024
Journal
Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction
Publisher
ACM
Citation
Frluckaj, Hana, Stevens, Nikki, Howison, James and Dabbish, Laura. 2024. "Paradoxes of Openness: Trans Experiences in Open Source Software." Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 8 (CSCW2).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
In recent years, concerns have increased over the lack of contributor diversity in open source software (OSS), despite its status as a paragon of open collaboration. OSS is an important form of digital infrastructure and part of a career path for many developers. While there exists a growing body of literature on cisgender women’s under-representation in OSS, the experiences of contributors from other marginalized groups are comparatively absent from the literature. Such is the case for trans contributors, a historically influential group in OSS. In this study, we interviewed 21 trans participants to understand and represent their experiences in the OSS literature. From their experiences, we theorize two related paradoxes of openness in OSS: the paradox of openness and display and the paradox of openness and governance. In an increasingly violent world for trans people, we draw on our theorizing to build recommendations for more inclusive and safer OSS projects for contributors.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1145/3687047
