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An Apology From TechCrunch

techcrunch.com

31–40 of 186 posts

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#32
It's reassuring to see, based on the comments here, that a large majority of HN users see this issue with this type of behavior and are against it. There are still a few I noticed who haven't matured beyond their teen years yet, though.

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#33

From my understanding that hackathon is basically just a way to get free tickets to Disrupt. Thus no one takes it seriously and you get things like this.

1) Yes, probably a lot of people was here to get the free ticket (including myself)

2) Most people (including myself) still took it very seriously (proof all the people who worked 20 hours straight and slept on floors for few minutes).

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#34

From my understanding that hackathon is basically just a way to get free tickets to Disrupt. Thus no one takes it seriously and you get things like this.

"no one" is your own opinion. Plenty of people take it seriously because the tech industry has a problem with this type of behavior, and these presentations don't help its image any.

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#35
post #29
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope you're joking. Besides the flurry of tech presenters and writers in the audience that were offended, a nine year old girl was at TechCrunch Disrupt demonstrating a product. Seeing as TCDisrupt isn't marketed as an 18+ event, it should be held to the same standards as any other public, professional gathering of individuals. Judging by TechCrunch's reaction, they wholeheartedly agree.

Sorry but I really think everyone should collectively loosen up.

Or, just maybe, you should care about the sort of atmosphere and culture that this app contributes to just that bit more.

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#36

Are people actually outraged? Since when did hacker culture take such a large turn toward political correctness?

You had to create a new HN identity to post that? Afraid of something? Hacker culture is no longer a good-ol-boy's club for good reasons. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't feel very included in a culture that denigrated me like certain hacker events of late do to women.

I didn't have an HN identity. I felt like this might be an interesting discussion, so I created an account.

Is it a big secret that men like to look at boobs? I'd like to meet the women who were so offended by such an obvious joke. In the entire circle of women I know, I really can't think of one who wouldn't recognize the playfulness of the idea (and not take it seriously).

If a female made an app that included men's butts, would people have the same reaction?

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#37
post #29
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hope you're joking. Besides the flurry of tech presenters and writers in the audience that were offended, a nine year old girl was at TechCrunch Disrupt demonstrating a product. Seeing as TCDisrupt isn't marketed as an 18+ event, it should be held to the same standards as any other public, professional gathering of individuals. Judging by TechCrunch's reaction, they wholeheartedly agree.

Sorry but I really think everyone should collectively loosen up.

Hear hear.

For example, I always drop the n-word when I'm walking around. People should be more like me, I don't get offended by that kind of language, why should anyone else? Sometimes people do, and I'm like, "What? Why're you getting so offended? I'm not offended, why are you?"

I'm kidding. I don't ask "why are you?" -- that doesn't matter LOL 8-)

For some reason, black people get especially offended at this kind of stuff. No clue why. I mean, I don't get offended and that's literally the only thing that matters when considering whether something should or shouldn't be said. Not the audience, the venue or the event.

Literally, only my own sensibilities matter. Everyone else should loosen up. Like me.

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#38
When I first saw the TitStare thing, I thought it was a Google Glass hack to let you stare at boobs without actually looking at them directly.

While still a really sexist thing, I thought such an app would be an interesting hack, and make quite a statement about the future of these wearable technologies... might be considered an art project if cast in the right light (and also probably renamed).

But a boob-photo sharing app? Sexist and boring.

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#39

Anyone coming here, wondering what happened, there were two presentation which were clearly inappropriate. First one was an app called TitStare , which allows you to view, upload, and share softcore photos of.. use your imagination. The second, circle shake , was an app to measure how fast you can jerk your wrist, upload and share your scores, accompanied by a pretty wild presentation. I think the first one must have…

Can we get the names of the presenters?

Re: An Apology From TechCrunch

#40
post #18
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was absolutely hilarious. I encourage stuff like this. Have a little fun people, nothing to apologize for. Who actually got offended?

I hope you're joking. Besides the flurry of tech presenters and writers in the audience that were offended, a nine year old girl was at TechCrunch Disrupt demonstrating a product. Seeing as TCDisrupt isn't marketed as an 18+ event, it should be held to the same standards as any other public, professional gathering of individuals. Judging by TechCrunch's reaction, they wholeheartedly agree.

IMHO both apps are tacky, however, I feel the whole thing is clearly a joke that some people found funny and some didn't. In any event, I feel the whole thing has been blown out of proportion.

I watched the videos and, while the Circle Shake presentation was cringeworthy, it was very mildly sexual at a conference that's aimed at adults, not children. There will have been people in the audience swearing in casual conversation too, possibly within earshot of the kid. I don't think anybody's equally upset about that though.

Regarding TitStare, I feel as though tackiness has been conflated with sexism. I just cannot see how such an app is sexist, especially given the fact there are plenty of bisexual and lesbian women. Conversely, if there were an app called ManButtStare, I'm really just not sure there would be the same response.

The reason I'm not offended by either of these apps is not because I'm a man (I'm not in the demographic for TitStare anyway given the fact I'm gay), but because the developers' intent didn't appear to be malicious or bad. It just seemed to be a joke that some people got offended over, but then again, I'm not sure why people think the world has to be so sterile so as to prevent people from getting offended.

I'm open to being wrong.

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