The only thing I found offensive about this story was the environment in which the app was presented, which was definitely inappropriate. If the app was presented by Daniel Tosh on his TV show, we'd probably all have a chuckle and move on.
Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
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Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#42These guys are idiots and there is definitely sexism in the IT industry. But every time I see these stories saying there is sexism in IT I think compared to what? Finance (Wall Street!)? Marketing? Law? Government? Military? Manufacturing? Construction?
I guess the disturbing part is what makes these guys think they can be this open about it. Wall Street has rampant sexism but I'm thinking they are smart enough not to show it is a public forum.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#43Let our inner knee-jerk selves remember the ``Why defend freedom of icky speech?'' [1]. [1] http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-...
Speech isn't free when one group has the podium, and the mike, and the other not so much.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#44Let our inner knee-jerk selves remember the ``Why defend freedom of icky speech?'' [1]. [1] http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-...
I don't know if I'd agree this is a freedom of speech issue compared to that article (which I've also read, it's great), there's very little the app is trying to say (other than "hey this is me staring at boobs") which is pushing the freedom of speech argument a little far.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#45Interesting that HN keeps killing threads on this topic: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6360328 A stubborn refusal to confront the problem is what helps these attitudes fester.
There's not much new that can be said, and the threads are always full of people with weird, vile, opinions bickering about what is or isn't acceptable behaviour, coming up with bizarre scenarios for why it's actually fine to call a woman a stupid cunt in the workplace.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#46Interesting that HN keeps killing threads on this topic: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6360328 A stubborn refusal to confront the problem is what helps these attitudes fester.
HN has had several stories this week on the Techchrunch Disrupt fiasco. The Business Insider story, not so much.
Even the stories on Disrupt were very quickly flagged off the front page. Then, when the BI story broke I saw multiple comments asking "What was the Disrupt story?"
The lesson is that flagging this stuff off the page works tremendously well.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#47These guys are idiots and there is definitely sexism in the IT industry. But every time I see these stories saying there is sexism in IT I think compared to what? Finance (Wall Street!)? Marketing? Law? Government? Military? Manufacturing? Construction? I guess the disturbing part is what makes these guys think they can be this open about it. Wall Street has rampant sexism but I'm thinking they are smart enough not t…
The tech industry has a real problem. What happens in other industries doesn't change that.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#48So while the Business Insider story was just in tech circles I can image everyone's favourite brogrammer Pax Dickinson may have been able to casually sidestep into another sector.
With it hitting NPR, I suspect this has irreversibly damaged his professional reputation.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#49On top of being embarrassed for doing this on stage, these people should be embarrassed for presenting such a fucking dumb idea for a hackathon. On an 100% unrelated note, Adria Richards has transitioned from "Technology Evangelist" to "Programmer"?
Per their apology, the two guys had a different idea for a hack (hence the name issue) that didn't pan out, hence their Hail Mary in order to get free Disrupt tickets. (You must present to get a ticket.)
Regardless, I stand by my statement: dumb fucking idea. Even if it was supposed to be a joke. That's when you make the "Hillary Clinton Quote Generator", "Virtual High 5 App", "I'm Pissed Button" or whatever. If you're trying to get laughs by going with sexual jokes, you're not funny.
Re: Sexism In The Tech Industry Takes Center Stage
#50Let our inner knee-jerk selves remember the ``Why defend freedom of icky speech?'' [1]. [1] http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2008/12/why-defend-freedom-of-...
I don't know if I'd agree this is a freedom of speech issue compared to that article (which I've also read, it's great), there's very little the app is trying to say (other than "hey this is me staring at boobs") which is pushing the freedom of speech argument a little far.
How is "staring at boobs" bad?