# Calling all Ladies who use FreeBSD - I need your help



## ElectricRider (Aug 21, 2011)

Hello.

I made another thread recently (on the PC-BSD forum) about gathering images to make avatars and signature file banners for use in advocating PC-BSD.

http://forums.pcbsd.org/showthread.php?t=14859

We all have permission to use PC-BSD images. I have obtained permission to use the Deamon Beastie from Marshall Kirk McKusick .

I was planning to use both Beastie and the popular lady deamon figure below together in some of the banners.

However, it has come to my attention that many people view this lady daemon graphic as demeaning to women. I will not use the lady deamon and Beastie together.

I would like ladies input on what types of images you feel you would most like to see for the purpose of conveying that ladies too enjoy using FreeBSD/PC-BSD. Perhaps if there are some female graphics designers around, you may wish to design and add your graphic.

Thank You.


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## anomie (Aug 22, 2011)

Ladies who use FreeBSD? Let's see, there is Dru. And then there's this one. Maybe they will see this thread one day.  

Seriously, your call for input is polite, but "demeaning" is totally subjective, even among females. As a male, I think your attached image is cute, nicely neo-retro, and appropriate. I have lady friends who would surely agree. And I know other folks (male and female) who would get huffy about her short skirt and high heels.


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## fonz (Aug 22, 2011)

anomie said:
			
		

> your call for input is polite, but "demeaning" is totally subjective, even among females.


Well put.

Fonz


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## tingo (Aug 22, 2011)

Some people will be offended by anything, if they want to.
For me, life is too short to spend time feeling offended by small things.


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## drhowarddrfine (Aug 22, 2011)

And some people are offended because they're supposed to be, not that they are.


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## ElectricRider (Aug 23, 2011)

anomie said:
			
		

> Ladies who use FreeBSD? Let's see, there is Dru. And then there's this one. Maybe they will see this thread one day.
> 
> Seriously, your call for input is polite, but "demeaning" is totally subjective, even among females. As a male, I think your attached image is cute, nicely neo-retro, and appropriate. I have lady friends who would surely agree. And I know other folks (male and female) who would get huffy about her short skirt and high heels.



I agree with you personally. Marshall Kirk McKusick (The owner of the current FreeBSD Beastie daemon mascot) thought the graphic was demeaning to women and he requested I do not use his Beastie image in conjunction with the Daemonette image above. I agreed to his request out of respect so I need some images to use for this purpose in place of Beastie.


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## ElectricRider (Aug 23, 2011)

Besides, I'm hoping to try and help change the fact that not a lot of women use the OS at least in PC-BSD's case. I'm trying to promote it to Windows and Linux users.


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## bes (Aug 23, 2011)

Object lesson for Windows users . Sorry )


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## ElectricRider (Aug 23, 2011)

bes said:
			
		

> Object lesson for Windows users . Sorry )



I have questions. Whats her phone number? (sorry.. could not resist)


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## bes (Aug 23, 2011)

Unknown . You can also look at other Daemonettes FreeBSD Image Gallery


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## Maredelamer (Aug 24, 2011)

ElectricRider said:
			
		

> I would like ladies input on what types of images you feel you would most like to see for the purpose of conveying that ladies too enjoy using FreeBSD/PC-BSD.


My gender does not enter into what OS I happen to prefer. That said, I prefer the standard logo to anything gender specific. Although my favorite is and has been Beastie (He's cute) to other options I have thus far seen.


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## DutchDaemon (Aug 24, 2011)

Beastie was the _mascot_, not the _logo_. I think the current 'horned bowling ball' is the first actual, official logo. There were 'Powered by FreeBSD' logos featuring Beastie, but those were not official FreeBSD OS logos.


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## anomie (Aug 24, 2011)

ElectricRider said:
			
		

> I need some images to use for this purpose in place of Beastie.



Then I suggest designing a cutsie little cartoon female Beastie, complete with ponytail, (longish) skirt, and slip-on shoes. Make her ethnicity ambiguous. Dark hair would be best. 

If you have a FreeBSD evangelism image that looks like she's ready to pour me a whiskey sour and then strip, it's (possibly) more likely to repel whatever tiny segment of the female population that would look at FreeBSD to start with.


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## ElectricRider (Aug 25, 2011)

Is that what that is.. a bowling ball? .. I want to ask but am afraid to...

The idea here folks is just to find images that appeal to ladies in particular as to help draw them in and not offend.. something they can identify with. I appreciate Maredelamer's answer about Beastie and I have been told as much by another lady FreeBSD user. I'm not an artist myself but I put together banners from existing images using Gimp of course. I do like anomie's idea if someone would design her (the first one not the second LOL) Just trying to help drum up support for these great systems.


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## fonz (Aug 25, 2011)

ElectricRider said:
			
		

> Is that what that is.. a bowling ball?


Of course it isn't, it doesn't have any finger holes 

On a more serious note: except for the original artist there probably isn't anyone who knows exactly what the logo thing is supposed to be. It has also been called a hoppity hop (or skippy ball, as it's more commonly called in my native language) and a couple of less subtle things.

Fonz


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## qsecofr (Aug 25, 2011)

What is the idea you wish to communicate?  and does the graphic represent that idea?

Personally, I'm not offended by it.  And I think I sort of understand the idea behind it.  But despite that , and no matter what the ladies say, I have a hard time seeing the graphic as a representation of anything computer related.

my uneducated guess (I wasn't a marketing or brand manager) is you'd be better off asking random people on the street what they think of your graphic at first sight.  Their responses would probably confirm your fears.  Here, you're most likely "preaching to the choir".

It's a good point made about "logo" versus "mascot".  Their definitions are probably germane (whose definition I didn't have to look up.  ;-)
As a mascot, the beastie is really superb.


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## roddierod (Aug 25, 2011)

anomie said:
			
		

> Then I suggest designing a cutsie little cartoon female Beastie, complete with ponytail, (longish) skirt, and slip-on shoes. Make her ethnicity ambiguous. Dark hair would be best.



I have seen this on the next in years past...I've been looking for a day now but can't find it again.

This is close...http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.stones/Picture(20).jpg


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## Maredelamer (Aug 26, 2011)

DutchDaemon said:
			
		

> Beastie was the _mascot_, not the _logo_. I think the current 'horned bowling ball' is the first actual, official logo. There were 'Powered by FreeBSD' logos featuring Beastie, but those were not official FreeBSD OS logos.


Oh! Good point! Thank you for the correction DutchDaemon, I appreciate it.


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