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Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

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Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#121

Post by alexanderlabrie »

bradenb wrote: post #112
alexanderlabrie wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's outlined in the article doesn't meet the burden of proof. There was a conflict and OP solipsistically experienced it as a big deal. Meanwhile, there's plenty of oppression and destitution in the world, but let's all focus on some low-level drama because it's more entertaining.

It may be low-level drama to you, but clearly the author felt threatened by the couple. The spam messages, the threats to release personal information, etc. I would have no qualms with seeking legal action.

Much closer to high school drama than illegality. OP will never obtain any judgment. I didn't think the HN community would so easily succumb to mob mentality due to a compelling narrative about a non-problem but I guess this is the Internet.

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#122

Post by bduerst »

enriquto wrote: post #118

The reaction of the organizer is very sad. Civilization is based on the peaceful collaboration of people who may hate each other. Disallowing such collaboration is, by definition, uncivilized. Being able to deal with people that make you very uncomfortable without creating a fuss is a fundamental requirement of adulthood. Regardless of the callous reaction of the un-invited person, it was not OK to un-invite them, at…

You missed this part:

> Generally, the best scenario is to talk with the involved parties, to cooperate and to seek a solution that doesn’t make the problem bigger. This isn’t always possible. In this case they went public and accused me and I had to explain what happened.

One of the parties involved wasn't interested in civilized collaboration, but making false accusations instead.

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#123

Post by 0815test »

draw_down wrote: post #110

The conference scene feels like such a hostile environment. I have my own reasons for not being interested in speaking, but even absent that, my desire to avoid anything resembling the above is much stronger than whatever desire to have people listen to me talk about computers. And that's just speaking; organizing is something I would never do, and really can't imagine how people put up with it. There is a conference…

> The conference scene feels like such a hostile environment.

It's a hostile environment either way - even the male speaker in this whole drama was widely known as "a male chauvinist who persecutes and intimidates women at sector conferences" - which is why he was so unwelcome in the first place! But sunlight is the best disinfectant - throw out with prejudice ANYONE who is publicly known to engage in intimidating behavior, whether they're of the "male chauvinist" or the "SJW" sort. Let the pox fall on both houses.

(edit for the avoidance of doubt: I mean the dude who was disinvited by OP, of course.)

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#124

Post by wolco »

Many thoughts.

Change communication channel immediately.

Don't invite someone and when they arrive tell them they are not welcome to speak. Post a list of speakers before, get your feedback and live with your decisions.

This is the best thing that could happen to your event. Use this time wisely to boost your event.

Is it just me or is there a group of people who seem to go to every conference?

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#125

Post by duxup »

alexanderlabrie wrote: post #121
bradenb wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be low-level drama to you, but clearly the author felt threatened by the couple. The spam messages, the threats to release personal information, etc. I would have no qualms with seeking legal action.

Much closer to high school drama than illegality. OP will never obtain any judgment. I didn't think the HN community would so easily succumb to mob mentality due to a compelling narrative about a non-problem but I guess this is the Internet.

> OP will never obtain any judgment.

In cases where someone feels harassed "judgment" isn't necessarily even the point.

Legal action is taken, you get a lawyer, they get a lawyer... often their lawyer tells them not to contact you or people you know anymore (because that is what a good lawyer will do) and it is effectively resolved. For some people that may be enough / the entire goal and it can cost as little as everyone talking to a lawyer once.

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#126

Post by clarityPhone »

duxup wrote: post #8

>Nevertheless, we didn’t expect a threatening reaction followed by several emails, Twitter DMs, persistent phone calls and Whatsapp messages. She even texted my girlfriend, one of the organizers of the conference, whose telephone number is not public and wasn’t given to her at any moment. At the same time, she started contacting other speakers of the conference. At that point you know you made the right choice... the…

Exactly. Her past pattern of poor behavior really speaks for itself.

I’d be interested if her husband has a similar reputation in his field. Shame we don’t have any names, if only so their actions yield some sort of consequence.

Hopefully court pans out in the author’s favor (assuming what he said is indeed the true rendition of events).

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#128

Post by bduerst »

opportune wrote: post #66
gregmac wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My team and I were contacted by different people to warn us that they were uncomfortable with the participation of a speaker and her boyfriend in our conference. They told the organization of the conference that this couple had caused problems to women in the community. > Several people who knew both of them confirmed that they had had problems with them in the past. We also talked with the organizers of other conf…

I was hoping for something more specific i.e. concrete actions

The author's attorneys are preventing them from being specific enough to identify the people involved. Others in the industry, independent of each other, confirmed it was a bad idea, and the reactionary behavior of the speaker just further proved it.

In any case, even if the reason behind removing them from the conference was moot, do you think the behavior of the speaker was justified?

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#129

Post by kazinator »

revvx wrote: post #113
commandlinefan wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was my takeaway - she's doing to him exactly what he allowed other people to do to her. He's finding that he doesn't like it.

The conference organizer denied a speaker position in a conference. All that happened in private. The person and a third-party engaged (allegedly) in doxxing and public shaming. Even if the conference organizer was in the wrong, there's a world of difference between those two things.

Public shaming using false allegations of stalking and harassment.

Re: Bullshit I had to go through while organizing a software conference

#130

Post by bumbledraven »

duxup wrote: post #98
0815test wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> ..."At that precise moment I saw the former speaker. She was calling the security of the event and using her cellphone to record me. She yelling that I was at the conference to stalk her, and that I was harassing her and following her. I never thought something like this could ever happen. It is worth noting that, at this point, I had only talked over the phone with her once, met her in person also once and, as I s…

I'm not sure what you mean by "cry bully" at this point.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=cry%20bully
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