

Dear The Internet, This Is Why You Can't Have Anything Nice - greggman
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/internet/2012/06/dear-internet-why-you-cant-have-anything-nice

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roguecoder
The idea that there are a limited pool of stereotypes that most female
characters in video games are drawn doesn't seem to me to be at all
controversial. Anita Sarkeesian is possibly the dullest, least-controversial
feminist ever; that she would be targeted for this basically says any woman
could be.

These harassers are attempting censorship through intimidation and abuse. The
question is how we stand up and condemn their cruel, petty, misogynistic
behavior in a way that will do any good.

~~~
lsb
One example: when Heroku/Mongo/Apigee/etc rescinded their support from the
Sqoot API Jam after women were offered as one of the perks alongside beer.

There are many things to do, but a solid first step is not tacitly condoning
hateful speech or deeds.

The next step is to create a welcoming environment. It's not obvious how to do
it (for example, avoid employees taking a dark unsupervised walk to their mode
of transit to go home), but would you want to be somewhere where random
anonymous strangers could verbally assault you, and you had no legal recourse?
That's the social environment that YouTube has made.

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EliRivers
More internet misogyny. Fortunately, this one comes with a way to actual give
for the cause.

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Mz
This has been here an hour and only one comment (prior to mine). I wonder why.

~~~
KuraFire
Hacker News is about as receptive of this topic as a porcupine is of balloons.

“Stay away stay away stay away!”

~~~
Mz
Thank you for replying. Yes, I am aware of the trend. I have been a member for
around three years. But I wonder _why_ that is.

There is a fair amount of discussion of things like women in tech and sexual
harassment in the work place. I wonder why these types of posts seem to put
such a chill in the air and get a reaction of "I wouldn't touch it with a ten
foot pole..." even though other related topics generate quite a bit of
serious, mostly respectful discussion.

~~~
KuraFire
People on HN are there to talk about tech, and they prefer it to happen within
the confines of what is currently the majority demographic: young male tech
person who’s every-day life doesn’t involve constant harassment.

Talking about the subject of sexism in tech means the members of the majority
demographic have to start acknowledging their own privileges and mistakes
(made in the past), two things they’d rather avoid altogether. Understandable,
but unhelpful.

There are lots of great folks on HN, and lots of women, too. However, their
voices often get drowned out by the other group. I know of many female
developers / engineers who have abandoned HN because the systemic misogyny
became too unbearable to be confronted with on a daily basis.

~~~
Mz
Again, thank you for replying and have an upvote, but I respectfully disagree.
My impression is that it scares people in a way that makes them afraid to talk
about it.

I am not afraid of difficult subjects of this sort but many people are, and
usually with very good reason. You and another commenter have already come out
gunning for people here when the only "crime" may be discomfort or fear of
saying the wrong thing on a very loaded topic. God forbid they give you and
others actual ammo against them by opening their mouths.

~~~
KuraFire
This explanation operates on the assumption that all of these people lack the
capacity to ask why, or ask for an elaboration or clearer explanation. It
assumes that every member here that avoids these conversations Must! At all
times! Assert! Their! Knowledge! on the issue and speak out as if they’re
experts.

There really is no discomfort in asking someone to elaborate on a complicated
subject, except a self-imposed reputation you think you might need to uphold.

My experience from seeing HN threads discuss this topic shows anything but a
fear that people have to discuss it; I'm sure the fearful ones are the ones
not speaking out either way, which makes the size of that group really hard to
determine, but the ones that do speak up seem anything but fearful.

There are two ways of learning: investigate resources for yourself, and asking
"why". Maybe it's time for HN to try either of the two more often?

~~~
Mz
I am asking "why" and I am a member here. I said that quite clearly. I really
don't see where you are getting your first paragraph. I don't really
understand this reply at all.

Back to working on my blog post.

Later.

~~~
KuraFire
Well, and I gave you my explanation of why as an answer, which you then
dismissed and provided your own explanation instead. Since you were the one
wondering why, I’m now left to wonder what made you ask the question in the
first place.

