I think the people getting caught up with the sensitivity of what is a pretty beautifully relevant reference wouldn't be a very good personality fit for working at AdGrok anyway. So it's a doubly good title - it's a great metaphor for a startup, and it performs the same filtering function that the original ad did. Brilliant.
Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
31–40 of 117 posts
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#32Dude, my literacy is pretty up there, and I didn't recognize the quote. I don't know that it would really tarnish its historical relevance to write "Men (or women) wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring".
If their Steve Jobs quote is eligible for paraphrasing in order to seem original, I don't know why an old newspaper clipping isn't in order to seem like an equal-opportunity employer.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#33Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't think it's obvious, if you just look at the headline. Is the integrity of the quote more important than looking non-biased against women programmers?
> Is the integrity of the quote more important than looking non-biased against women programmers? Yes, absolutely. It also pre-selects for those that have a sense of humor. If I were a woman - which I'm not - I would definitely play that to my advantage in my application.
> Yes, absolutely. It also pre-selects for those that have a sense of humor.
Why do minorities need to have a sense of humour about themselves? I do, but why do I have to to get into your club?
FWIW, I've made countless raunchy jokes that would have gotten me flagged by HR in a staid shop. The thing is -- I take responsibility for that. I.e. if I offended someone it's not necessarily because they have no sense of humour.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#34Sexist! Just kidding...people are too sensitive. http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm
Well, call me too sensitive then: it is sexist. If they need to explicitly mention that "women are welcome" in a footnote, that pretty much confirms that their choice of headline is saying that women are somewhat less than welcome. I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive. You'd think it would be smarter to err in the other direction...
Anyone who is offended by a sexist title (this one is an apt historical reference as well) is probably going to have a problem in a startup where employees "[t]ell jokes that would make sailors blush". I bet a fair number of those jokes are sexist, too.
This may be an effective filter for a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#35Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, call me too sensitive then: it is sexist. If they need to explicitly mention that "women are welcome" in a footnote, that pretty much confirms that their choice of headline is saying that women are somewhat less than welcome. I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive. You'd think it would be smarter to err in the other direction...
"I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive." I'll venture a guess: because many of us find it incredibly tiring and annoying to have to constantly stop and think "is there any possible way the following sentence could be interpreted as prejudiced against any group?" when communicating. If person A says something non-sexual and person B f…
Do you really think the developer world, particularly within startups, doesn't have a serious problem with sexism?
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#36It's really unfortunate that this poorly-chosen title overshadows an otherwise very attractive job posting. Sexism is still sexism, whether or not it's from 1914.
-female and feminist programmer here.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#37Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well, call me too sensitive then: it is sexist. If they need to explicitly mention that "women are welcome" in a footnote, that pretty much confirms that their choice of headline is saying that women are somewhat less than welcome. I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive. You'd think it would be smarter to err in the other direction...
Anyone who is offended by a sexist title (this one is an apt historical reference as well) is probably going to have a problem in a startup where employees "[t]ell jokes that would make sailors blush". I bet a fair number of those jokes are sexist, too. This may be an effective filter for a sexual harassment lawsuit.
It's not so much "offended" as the fact that I do not like what developer culture has become.
Speaking up about it seems to be a small way to create some change in that culture.
If I keep quiet, then the hive-minded sausage-fest will march on, assuming I share its beliefs.
On the other hand, speaking up about it really is just tilting at windmills, and incredibly frustrating each time.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#38Sexist! Just kidding...people are too sensitive. http://www.antarctic-circle.org/advert.htm
Well, call me too sensitive then: it is sexist. If they need to explicitly mention that "women are welcome" in a footnote, that pretty much confirms that their choice of headline is saying that women are somewhat less than welcome. I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive. You'd think it would be smarter to err in the other direction...
Their choice of headline is a reference to a historical document from almost a century ago. Would it be better if we: a) rewrite history, or b) never reference it?
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#39If you have a problem with the title of this job post, then chances are you're not fit for the company, or most young startups for that matter.
Re: Men wanted for hazardous journey: AdGrok (YC S10) is hiring.
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
"I don't see why being too sensitive is seen as somehow worse in the startup/developer community than being too insensitive." I'll venture a guess: because many of us find it incredibly tiring and annoying to have to constantly stop and think "is there any possible way the following sentence could be interpreted as prejudiced against any group?" when communicating. If person A says something non-sexual and person B f…
Do you really think the developer world, particularly within startups, doesn't have a serious problem with sexism?
While there are a number of telling studies and statistics relating to gender issues, I think there is enough missing information that it isn't really possible to say much of anything intelligent on the subject. Given that we literally can't even tell the difference between a mental illness and a physical illness much of the time, I don't think science is ready to put a number on the percentage of the entrepreneurship gender gap that's attributable to sexism. For all we know it could be due to social factors or biological factors that are so non-obvious that no one has even thought of them yet.