
We scanned this from a computing magazine from 1970 - demartini
https://twitter.com/computermuseum/status/406810708853018624/photo/1/large
======
davidw
I think this image illustrates a problem with our industry that would have
made me think twice about becoming a programmer: I don't know about everyone
else here, but I have a heck of a time getting any work done with the
beautiful women perching themselves on my desk. I've tried everything, but
they just keep roosting there.

~~~
DanielBMarkham
It's time to take action. For far too long women in IT have suffered from poor
eyesight and terrible life choices.

I vote we get rid of your desk.

------
Killah911
British humor is quite different from American humor. This seems more in line
with the company trying to be funny rather than the overtly sexist gesture it
appears to be at first glance. Not saying it isn't sexist, but it seems like
an attempt at humor which may be lost on those who aren't quite familiar with
British humor.

~~~
petercooper
_Especially_ of that era. _Carry On_ movies, _On The Buses_ and all that.
Doesn't necessarily make it right in the modern context but bawdy humour was
absolutely the norm up into the 80s.

I watched the _On The Buses_ movie a while ago and was actually taken aback by
a scene near the intro where the two main characters basically restrain and
grope a new female bus conductor. And that was the best selling British movie
of 1971 and one for all the family..! :-)

~~~
frobozz
I was similarly shocked by characters in their 40s ogling and catcalling at
"girls" in school uniform (though clearly played by women in their 20s). This
seems to be a norm of the era, and it goes so strongly against today's
paedogeddon mores that even a gritty crime drama wouldn't have too much of it
nowadays, let alone a family sitcom.

For those unfamiliar with the British School system: someone in a school
uniform is definitely below 18-and-a-bit, and considering the nature of
further education before the late 80s, would very likely have been below 16
(even more likely if female).

------
jccalhoun
In contrast, here is an article encouraging women to become programmers that
appeared in Cosmopolitan in 1967:
[http://thecomputerboys.com/?p=239](http://thecomputerboys.com/?p=239) and an
article that discusses it which contains pictures of a couple other ads:
[http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~nathanen/files/cbi-
gender.pdf](http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~nathanen/files/cbi-gender.pdf)

------
vezzy-fnord
Interesting to note how the (trigger warning: cisgendered heterosexual male)
COBOL programmers get ladies with ease, yet the fancy modern (cisgendered
heterosexual male) Ruby programmers have to resort to constantly showing how
non-sexist they are in a vain attempt to attract the opposite sex.

Almost makes me want to learn COBOL.

~~~
yapcguy
I've talked to a few women in their 20s and 30s about this and their opinion
was that guys who are always beating their chests about how they help women
fight sexism in technology are probably doing it get into some warm panties.

~~~
beachstartup
which of course, ironically perhaps, is a terrible strategy.

------
Cthulhu_
So, are we going to reverse-judge the 70's now? I'd rather have this than a
bunch of obese neckbeards wearing Unix T-shirts promoting working in IT.

~~~
TeMPOraL
Yes, because gender issues are the most important thing on this planet and
everything is deeply related to them.

I wonder when people will start whining about how sexist keywords in
programming languages are.

~~~
yapcguy
I just looked at the keywords for Go, Java and C to see if there were any
gender based words. There were none.

However there were quite a few phallic references, e.g. sizeof, extends, long.

Oops.

------
username42
I think there is a new generation in IT very different from the previous ones.
Rejection of misogyny is the norm now. Seems to be an improvement.

~~~
moron4hire
My own observation has indicated that misogyny is still very common. What is
new is more lip-service paid to the concept of inclusion, but the old
attitudes are still there. Sure, corporate anti-sexual harassment rules have
certainly curbed many of the symptoms: you don't see men in power pinching the
secretary's ass anymore. But it hasn't seemed to have changed the thought
process: i.e. that men in power view women as secretaries rather than as
peers.

~~~
knowitall
Men in power probably don't see anybody as peers. That is the meaning of "in
power".

~~~
moron4hire
There are a variety of levels of power.

------
informatimago
Nothing has changed, don't they lure you with similar things at google? Today
it's free food and other perks,
[http://www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/benefits/](http://www.google.com/about/jobs/lifeatgoogle/benefits/)
but it's really the same.

On the other hand, perhaps this kind of ads should motivate girls to be
attracted to programmers: stable and well remunerated jobs. I've not written
"programming", right! Check:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MejkH61o_U](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MejkH61o_U)

~~~
makerops
Food and "things" are not the same as women.

~~~
dasil003
On one hand, I think that's the GPs point, but on the other the ad is clearly
meant to be humorous.

------
BerislavLopac
Actually, I think they wanted to highlight the salary offered. ;-)

~~~
forinti
Which is not so great at 26,200 2012 pounds.

~~~
dingaling
That was a fairly reasonable 2012 programming salary outside City of London.

Actually a smidge on the high side, particularly for anywhere north of
Birmingham.

------
minikomi
Meanwhile, in Japan [https://paiza.jp/poh/ec-
campaign](https://paiza.jp/poh/ec-campaign)

------
nosage
AMA Request: Chris Wood

------
jheriko
saw this yesterday - found it amusing, in no way imagined it would trigger a
debate about sexism.

------
JoeAltmaier
She's about 65 now...

------
knowitall
"doing/buying/applying x raises your attractivity to the opposite sex" is
really the most basic advertising message ever. Is that really a problem (more
than advertising in general)? Why/how?

I get that this ad is targeted at men - but that in itself can not seriously
be made out to be a problem either? Should all
ads/messages/stories/games/movies be unisex?

------
codfrantic
NSFW tag maybe

;-)

~~~
duiker101
If that photo is NSFW it means you should really not open any photos at work.
And probably not be on HN even.

~~~
walshemj
especially looking at sinful pictures might lead to naughty things and
eventually _shudder_ to music and dancing.

