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Windows Azure Dance Routine

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Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#21

Post by MrKurtHaeusler »

marquis wrote: post #16
listrophy wrote: post #15

I had to rage-stop this video halfway through... this is ridiculous. In this day and age, I would have thought that the developer community has come to realize that sexism is out and inclusiveness is in (no, adding a "(and vaginas)" is not inclusive). We had our fun, but it significantly damaged our culture and firmly planted our female participation at 15-20%, with a female OSS contribution rate of 1.5-5%. We (I'm s…

Yes, this wasn't offensive to non-male-heteros - it was just offensive. Yet I have to say I'm still laughing and it being completely over the top lends it a certain element of 'this is too ridiculous to be considered a serious attempt to empower the hegemony'. It's bad taste in general, rather than offensive to any one party.

I find it especially offensive to women and feminists in the developer community.

People watching it and saying, "OMG what a crap song, and such old-school dance moves. Don't they know developers are too cool for this?", as if that is what the problem is, just show how big the real problem is.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#22

Post by hellerbarde »

beaker wrote: post #17

Probably will get downvoted for this, but I didn't really think this was as vile as apparently everybody else does. Sure it's a bit cheesy and stupid, but the dancers seem to be wearing shorts and a full shirt (essentially standard dance attire) and not doing anything particularly suggestive. As to the lyrics, again stupid attempts at humor but not any worse than what you might see on an evening TV sitcom. Maybe I am…

it's not the things they did or any particular word or formulation that ticks me off. It's the sentiment and (if it succeeds) the baseline of emotions it seeds for that event or evening.

Now we can all say that everyone needs to grow thicker skin or something, but in the end it's simply bad taste to alienate significant parts of the crowd. That being said, if I would have been there, I would have been more embarrassed at the stereotype they apparently decided to appeal to than offended, because it was so over the top stupid.

YMMV.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#23

Post by listrophy »

beaker wrote: post #17

Probably will get downvoted for this, but I didn't really think this was as vile as apparently everybody else does. Sure it's a bit cheesy and stupid, but the dancers seem to be wearing shorts and a full shirt (essentially standard dance attire) and not doing anything particularly suggestive. As to the lyrics, again stupid attempts at humor but not any worse than what you might see on an evening TV sitcom. Maybe I am…

Where is the goddamned outrage? Stop being such a member of the intelligentsia and get angry.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#24

Post by waterlesscloud »

Deestan wrote: post #19
listrophy wrote: post #15

I had to rage-stop this video halfway through... this is ridiculous. In this day and age, I would have thought that the developer community has come to realize that sexism is out and inclusiveness is in (no, adding a "(and vaginas)" is not inclusive). We had our fun, but it significantly damaged our culture and firmly planted our female participation at 15-20%, with a female OSS contribution rate of 1.5-5%. We (I'm s…

> I would have thought that the developer community has come to realize that sexism is out I was there to see how it worked out. The developer community reacted negatively to this. During the show, a lot of people backed away to hide in the corners of the conference room. There was loud boo-ing throughout and after the dance. Critical tweets were being tweeted and retweeted. The community is OK . Microsoft's marketin…

I hear no loud boos "throughout" the routine. I do hear laughter. I see people crowded up to the stage, not "hiding in corners". There are some possible boos after the routine, mixed in with applause.

And what's clueless about that Cloud ad? That's an extremely mainstream corporate ad.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#25

Post by Deestan »

listrophy wrote: post #20
Deestan wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I would have thought that the developer community has come to realize that sexism is out I was there to see how it worked out. The developer community reacted negatively to this. During the show, a lot of people backed away to hide in the corners of the conference room. There was loud boo-ing throughout and after the dance. Critical tweets were being tweeted and retweeted. The community is OK . Microsoft's marketin…

Sorry, I wasn't lambasting the community at large... I was directing my anger at the fact that Microsoft is insulated enough from the dev community that they haven't picked up on this.

Yes. Even knowing Microsoft's general marketing clumsiness, it's very impressive how out of touch they can manage to be.

Also, when they were referencing the speakers, "Lea Verou will make your dreams come true" might have looked good on paper, but in this context it was just unbearably creepy. Totally agree they need to donate some millions to inclusive causes to make up for this.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#26

Post by marquis »

MrKurtHaeusler wrote: post #21
marquis wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, this wasn't offensive to non-male-heteros - it was just offensive. Yet I have to say I'm still laughing and it being completely over the top lends it a certain element of 'this is too ridiculous to be considered a serious attempt to empower the hegemony'. It's bad taste in general, rather than offensive to any one party.

I find it especially offensive to women and feminists in the developer community. People watching it and saying, "OMG what a crap song, and such old-school dance moves. Don't they know developers are too cool for this?", as if that is what the problem is, just show how big the real problem is.

Watching this (as a woman) I actually felt more embarrassed for my male colleague sitting here with me - he knew how stupid and misogynist it is. If anything I was rather impressed they thought it so considerate to add 'vagina' to what was an already absurd line.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#27

Post by Deestan »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #24
Deestan wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I would have thought that the developer community has come to realize that sexism is out I was there to see how it worked out. The developer community reacted negatively to this. During the show, a lot of people backed away to hide in the corners of the conference room. There was loud boo-ing throughout and after the dance. Critical tweets were being tweeted and retweeted. The community is OK . Microsoft's marketin…

I hear no loud boos "throughout" the routine. I do hear laughter. I see people crowded up to the stage, not "hiding in corners". There are some possible boos after the routine, mixed in with applause. And what's clueless about that Cloud ad? That's an extremely mainstream corporate ad.

You can't form opinions on that by watching a video filmed 5 meters from the stage, right inbetween the relatively very few (and mostly drunk - there had been free beer for the past 3 hours) people who seemed to appreciate the show.

The conference hall was huge. Some 30-50 meters away where I was standing, the boo-ing was quite audible, and you could see most of the attendees staying the hell away from the stage.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#28

Post by hamax »

foz wrote: post #14

I was just at the Berlin Buzzwords conference last week. Microsoft Azure was a platinum sponsor, and hired two 20-something girls dressed in skin-tight silver jumpsuits. They walked around handing out bags of Gummy Bears with flyers for Azure. Nobody was impressed, and the whole idea as kind of ridiculous. Given the level of maturity at that conference, it was completely out of place. It does not surprise me there wa…

I had the same feeling at the BBuzz. I like gummy bears and all, but this is not how you win over developers. Nobody was paying any attention to those women and nobody was paying any attention to Azure.

I'm hopeful that sexism will eventually fade out in the community.

Microsoft, GoDaddy and others, please find another way to advertise your products.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#29

Post by Karunamon »

FreshCode wrote: post #6

This reminds me of...Japanese karaoke. I feel sorry for Microsoft that this is going to be syndicated everywhere to the detriment of Azure, but it's probably funny in Norway. Is anyone on HN offended by this?

Not I, but then again, I'm almost impossible to offend. This just seemed more silly and out of place than anything else.

The 'zOMG SEXISM' drum is getting beaten especially hard recently.

Re: Windows Azure Dance Routine

#30

Post by powertower »

beaker wrote: post #17

Probably will get downvoted for this, but I didn't really think this was as vile as apparently everybody else does. Sure it's a bit cheesy and stupid, but the dancers seem to be wearing shorts and a full shirt (essentially standard dance attire) and not doing anything particularly suggestive. As to the lyrics, again stupid attempts at humor but not any worse than what you might see on an evening TV sitcom. Maybe I am…

Pretty much a non-event/non-issue for me.

It looks like a regional thing (half the world away), from a subsidiary, and was not signed off by Redmond.

People will always interject themselves into things like this, making something out of nothing, tweeting and posting about how outraged they are.

When Microsoft is involved, the narrative is to always play the victim being oppressed by a giant.

I've see worse things than this on family tv stations during the daytime.

To me this is just a dumb two or three minute skit in a 3 hour event, that will get someone fired.

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