Nice post and we definitely need more of these and in general a more normalisation of the idea that tech conferences need not be a gender biased stereotype. Tha

Nice post and we definitely need more of these and in general a more normalisation of the idea that tech conferences need not be a gender biased stereotype. That said, one thing that I feel conscious about these days is how I speak with strangers about technology. Irrespective of gender I tend to default to the most simplistic way to speak about certain technology before getting specific because at tech conferences the person you speak to might just be a newbie or might have written books on the subject matter and chances are their name, age, gender.. etc will be of no help in identifying this. How do others handle this? For instance, how does one ask, without possibility of offence been taken, do you use Linux ? (... and to avoid answers like, the likelihood is higher of so and so if you are at such and such conference, let's assume I'm at a pycon)