

Tell HN: Best part of the Big Ol' Python PyControvery is women saying "Dongle". - citizenkeys

Today I've read multiple female bloggers liberally using the word "dongle" and "big dongle".  This is the best controversy ever!<p>Dongle! Dongle! Dongle!
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citizenkeys
But on a more serious note... As the woman did not even work at the same
company as the guys she complained about, she really had no recourse except to
get up and move. That sounds very inconsiderate but it's actually the law. In
a legal sense, anybody in a public place, whether it's a bar or a programming
convention, has a constitutional right to say what they want.

Every employer is responsible for knowing various workplace regulations,
including sexual harassment laws. There are only two types of sexual
harassment, both of which require working with the alleged offender, "quid pro
quo" and "hostile environment": [http://www.legalmatch.com/law-
library/article/types-of-sexua...](http://www.legalmatch.com/law-
library/article/types-of-sexual-harassment.html)

If the woman had worked for the same company as the allegedly offensive guys,
she absolutely would have a claim based on them creating a hostile work
environment. However, the woman at PyCon didn't work for the same company as
the people she complained about. And therefore she had absolutely no claim.
Her only right if she was bothered was to get up and move. The only legal
claim that may exist now is a wrongful termination suit by the guys that got
fired.

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mooism2
No, she had every right to complain to the conference organisers.

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citizenkeys
I agree she had an absolute right to complain. My point is simply that she had
no legal cause of action against either the guys or their employer. So what
did she really have to gain through this controversy? And did those guys
really deserve to lose their jobs over some childish comments?

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mooism2
Your post is exactly the sort of ostensibly jokey comment that makes women
feel unwelcome.

