SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas • Hacker News Board

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#161

Post by niggler » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:23 PM UTC

fatjokes wrote: post #129

itsprofitbaron wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In response to the dev on HN 2 days ago, Adria said[1]: "I'm sorry to hear your employer deciding to not to work with you on this and I hope they reconsider, bring you back on and dealing with it constructively" [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5399047

"I'm sorry to hear" is the standard non-apology apology. It's like "I'm sorry you got offended."

" ... I hope they reconsider, bring you back on ..."

She didn't fire the guy. The most she could say is that she doesn't think he should have been fired over this, and I read that part of the quote (repeated above) as reflection of my point.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#162

Post by nirvdrum » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:23 PM UTC

niggler wrote: post #84

[deleted] wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

The problem with this line of argument is that she didn't intend to get him fired. The most that should have happened was a larger discussion. The fact that he was fired was an overreaction by the employer , not her.

While that may be strictly true, we've now created an environment where if you don't deal with something as quickly as humanly possible, you get crushed with negative publicity. So the company could either sit back and seem to condone sexism or fire him and hopefully come out the moral victor. Clearly a false dichotomy, but one of our own creation. Twitter is routinely used as a tool for bullying (for good causes or bad) rather than reasonable discourse. The 140 char limit and ease of retweets makes the former trivial and the latter all but impossible. I routinely think we'd all be better off if it just went away.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#163

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:23 PM UTC

natrius wrote: post #54

mkr-hn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We didn't invent sensationalist media.

There's only five things we do better than everyone else: music, movies, microcode, high-speed pizza delivery, and sensationalist media.

[deleted]

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#164

Post by dobbsbob » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:23 PM UTC

this is exactly why I dont use any social media in my real name, and I especially dont ever reveal who I work for. the moment you stick your company name on your twitter/fb profile you are now their spokesman and they can legally fire you for just about anything.

media will make this a womens rights false argument and she will get a book deal plus her 15mins.

glad my 3 contractors i hired are remote, degenerate neckbeards who dont use anything besides degenerate filled IRC channels. media doesnt give a shit about IRC

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#165

Post by niggler » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

nirvdrum wrote: post #162

niggler wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with this line of argument is that she didn't intend to get him fired. The most that should have happened was a larger discussion. The fact that he was fired was an overreaction by the employer , not her.

While that may be strictly true, we've now created an environment where if you don't deal with something as quickly as humanly possible, you get crushed with negative publicity. So the company could either sit back and seem to condone sexism or fire him and hopefully come out the moral victor. Clearly a false dichotomy, but one of our own creation. Twitter is routinely used as a tool for bullying (for good causes or…

"I routinely think we'd all be better off if it just went away."

I fully agree that Twitter has done a disservice to our discourse.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#166

Post by Macsenour » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

salman89 wrote: post #51

blhack wrote: post #20

I really wish that this whole thing could have ended amicably (perhaps with Adria apologizing to the devs [by the way, the guy who was fired has already publicly apologized]). It's too bad that sendgrid had to fire her, I would never wish that somebody had their livlihood taken from them like that, but her job was to be a developer evangelist, which is a job she isn't realistically capable of performing anymore. I wo…

"I would feel really uncomfortable if I was in the same room as this person. What if I accidentally say something that she finds offensive? Am I next?" I'm not agreeing with anything Adria did, but the issue of being labeled as the "tattletale" probably plays a big part in most women's reluctance to report real harassment.

"real harassment" I agree, but this is not harassment when she over hears a comment not directed at her. I agree with your point that women might feel less inclined, but frankly they should feel less inclined to overhear a conversation, take offense, take a picture, and post it to twitter.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#167

Post by WalterSear » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

niggler wrote: post #70

fatjokes wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And Adria had the right to tweet. Adria as an individual, yes. Adria as a developer evangelist? No. Her role is to speak for the company, and no company should resort to public shaming and cyber bullying.

Was she tweeting from a personal or company account?

The same one she sent this joke about sexual humiliation from:

https://twitter.com/adriarichards/status/312265091791847425

And the company she was envangelising for on that twitter feed thinks that a visual joke about photocopying your genitals is not inappropriate for their jobs pages:

http://i.imgur.com/uWc8P39.png

I understand that speaker and context make all the difference, but she made a joke about sexual humiliation, and then, at the same conference, got offended by a joke comparing dongles to genitals.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#168

Post by nilkn » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

salman89 wrote: post #51

blhack wrote: post #20

I really wish that this whole thing could have ended amicably (perhaps with Adria apologizing to the devs [by the way, the guy who was fired has already publicly apologized]). It's too bad that sendgrid had to fire her, I would never wish that somebody had their livlihood taken from them like that, but her job was to be a developer evangelist, which is a job she isn't realistically capable of performing anymore. I wo…

"I would feel really uncomfortable if I was in the same room as this person. What if I accidentally say something that she finds offensive? Am I next?" I'm not agreeing with anything Adria did, but the issue of being labeled as the "tattletale" probably plays a big part in most women's reluctance to report real harassment.

I'm honestly curious what this even has to do with women. That's what puzzles me most about this whole incident.

Maybe I'm insensitive or ignorant. I'll admit it if that's the case and learn. Right now, though, I just don't get it. I just don't see how a dongle joke is sexist. It's anatomical. It might have some mild sexual undertone, but there's a huge difference between sexism and a sexual undertone--they aren't the same thing at all.

Maybe if I heard the exact joke it would help. But I've heard just as many penis jokes from women as I have men.

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#169

Post by jrs235 » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

wilfra wrote: post #43

m4re wrote: post #23

The way heads are rolling, I wonder if I'm next? I'm the guy in green in the center of the photo (completely oblivious to this whole situation).

Did you notice this whole thing going on while it was happening? Did you hear the jokes? Where these guys obnoxious etc? Or was she?

I don't anticipate him replying to you in a public forum... he's a marked man!

Re: SendGrid Fires Company Evangelist After Twitter Fracas

#170

Post by paranoiacblack » Thu, Mar 21, 2013, 7:24 PM UTC

minimize_me wrote: post #134

paranoiacblack wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand what's wrong with this. This is quite literally the definition of racism in a sociological context: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racism#Sociological . You're going to need to disprove a lot of social science before you tackle this definition.

You could pop over to Zim to see what's wrong with that statement.

> pop over to Zim

I don't know what this means. But please elaborate what's wrong with that statement. Please understand that a word's definition is not necessarily it's meaning.