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My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

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Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#41

Post by hammock »

jacquesm wrote: post #27

I wonder how many people clicked because they were interested in the start-up and how many people because they were interested in the girlfriend.

Judging by the fact there's hardly half a dozen comments relating to the actual product, I think you have your answer.

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#42

Post by ac2u »

zalzane wrote: post #31
tgrass wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvote for unnecessarily derogatory language.

How is it unnecessary? Someone is using their female significant other's gender to promote their product. Just having his girlfriend make a video explaining his startup wouldn't be an issue - but having her make that video, then submitting an article that "hey, here's my GIRLFRIEND explaining my startup" makes it off as sex appeal. Since sexism in gaming is a hot thing topic right now, imagine if Spike TV was to adve…

It really depends how you read it. I read the hook as getting a non technical person to explain the product so the benefits are communicated in layman's terms. Most people don't have a partner in the same profession, so it's simply a situational occurrence that it ended up as "girlfriend". It could just have easily been a woman getting her non-techy boyfriend to explain it, which would equally have been a non-issue.

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#43

Post by regis »

zalzane wrote: post #31
tgrass wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvote for unnecessarily derogatory language.

How is it unnecessary? Someone is using their female significant other's gender to promote their product. Just having his girlfriend make a video explaining his startup wouldn't be an issue - but having her make that video, then submitting an article that "hey, here's my GIRLFRIEND explaining my startup" makes it off as sex appeal. Since sexism in gaming is a hot thing topic right now, imagine if Spike TV was to adve…

Okay, I sort of get what you're saying but what if it was a gay man saying my boyfriend made this? Or a woman saying my boyfriend made this? What if it was his mom who made the video? Does that still invoke sex appeal to you? The problem here seems to be with your reaction to the word girlfriend and not actually based on anything other than her gender and status. I agree that the girlfriend part could have been left out of the title, but I also don't think it ruins the integrity of this posting at all.

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#44

Post by willtheperson »

zalzane wrote: post #24

It looks like either reddit has discovered HN, or someone figured out that injecting "girlfriend" into article titles garners loads of votes for reasons beyond my comprehension. It's pretty pathetic how effective of a baiting tactic it is, in terms of both title and content. This is the second time this week that I've seen a submission hit HN's frontpage that used their girlfriend to snatch votes, I seriously hope it…

My girlfriend thinks you're wrong. So by law of girlfriends and internet, I should get a lot of votes for this comment

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#46

Post by mpyne »

prg318 wrote: post #34
darkxanthos wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with partner on HN is it makes me think co-founder or the like. :-\

SO (Significant Other) is solid gender neutral verbiage IMHO

Ah yes, but then people will think you're pandering to the Evil Denizens of Political Correctness that are ruining discourse on the Internet.

In short, you can't win with everybody no matter what you do. :-/

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#47

Post by catshirt »

darkxanthos wrote: post #18
pbiggar wrote: post #13

Something about this rubs me slightly wrong. I think it's "my girlfriend" and "My boyfriend" and "I know very little about programming, but I do know that his startup is awesome". I don't know the words to describe it, but it feels like a weird gender-in-CS thing. Anyone know more technical terms for this?

If we had a gender neutral way of describing a romantic relationship with someone that'd fix it. Right now perhaps it seems like this is specifically targeting gender when it isn't actually the intent. I've never dated someone who understands what I do so I relate to this but it has nothing to do gender other than I'm a straight male.

the term you are looking for is "significant other".

Re: My girlfriend tries to explain my startup in 90 seconds

#49

Post by jacquesm »

tgrass wrote: post #40
zalzane wrote: post #24

It looks like either reddit has discovered HN, or someone figured out that injecting "girlfriend" into article titles garners loads of votes for reasons beyond my comprehension. It's pretty pathetic how effective of a baiting tactic it is, in terms of both title and content. This is the second time this week that I've seen a submission hit HN's frontpage that used their girlfriend to snatch votes, I seriously hope it…

Thanks for the edit, zalzane.

You're missing the joke I think.
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