
She's a beauty and a geek: Supermodel is a coder - dak1
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/20/tech/web/lyndsey-scott-model-coder/index.html
======
geuis
I hope I'm not the only one that feels this way, but seriously, who gives a
shit?

Look, I'm a 30-something overweight white male programmer. I probably spend
equal time, if not more, communicating with people around the world based on
their ideas and what they write rather than their physical person. What this
means is that I don't care if you're a gay paraplegic cross dressing dolphin,
a woman that can't leave her house in the deepest parts of Saudi Arabia, a 12
year old in Australia, or another guy just like me. It. Doesn't. Matter.

I'm sure if you're reading this, you know the old joke that no one knows
you're a dog behind a keyboard. If you have good ideas and are willing to talk
about them, what your background is just doesn't really matter.

I've been around long enough that I've talked to everyone, from billionaire
kids to poor grandparents. People's ideas and thoughts are more important than
anything else to me.

I'm glad that this person has had success in multiple areas. Is it remarkable
as a news-worthy event? Maybe for CNN, but they aren't exactly a reputable
news source these days. For me, and hopefully others, she's just a good
programmer.

In the end, all that matters is someone's ability to think. Whether they're a
supermodel or a dog doesn't fucking matter.

~~~
yapcguy
She's not any old model, she's a "supermodel" (gasp!) so of course everything
she does is special and newsworthy...

~~~
scotty79
I think term supermodel has some meaning. Model is like mom & pap shop or
lifestyle business. Supermodel is like Bezos or Zukerberg.

So far she is a supermodel who codes, not a ninja coder that models.

------
prezjordan
Her StackOverflow profile [0] is extremely impressive.

[0]: [http://stackoverflow.com/users/2274694/lyndsey-
scott](http://stackoverflow.com/users/2274694/lyndsey-scott)

~~~
scotty79
Yay I have more points than her. Although my other career besides coding is
commenting on HN. Probably significantly less demanding than being supermodel.
Wait? She got them in just 9 months? Nevermind.

~~~
TheCoelacanth
Yay, I also have more points. Her 66 thousand profile views absolutely crushes
my 154 profile views, though.

~~~
scotty79
There are profile views? :-O Wow 331. I never thought of myself as of popular
kid!

------
yetanotherphd
>The term 'software engineer' conjures images of pasty-faced young men with
poor posture and limited social skills.

I'm really confused. Are we onto third or fourth wave feminism yet? I thought
body shaming was bad and the modelling industry was evil.

Aren't we always being appealed to, as nerds, to empathize with groups that
are underrepresented in tech, because we too, didn't fit in in high school?

~~~
sp332
I thought third wave feminism "took back" modelling and porn?

Edit: this isn't a joke, it's something I actually heard from a few sources.

~~~
vezzy-fnord
Nope, there's still no clear consensus between sex-positive, sex-negative and
lipstick feminist theorists.

~~~
sp332
So some people think it's ok and others think something different? Damn, I
might have to think for myself soon...

------
daveslash
For me, this validates a lot of what I've often felt. I'm tired of being told,
by feminists, that the reason I'm in computer science is because "white males
are encouraged"; I want to tell them to get shoved in lockers, bullied, dumped
in trash cans, harassed in the bathroom, and having the worst dating life in
high school -- then tell me how "encouraging" is was. The reason I'm in
computer science is because I enjoy it. I've often said to feminist friends
that one does not go into computer science because they are encouraged - they
often go into it because that's what they like, regardless of what
anyone/society tells them. From what I can tell, this woman, the supermodel,
felt social pains similar to mine and perused her interest nonetheless. I
applaud her for that.

~~~
ps4fanboy
This so much, when it happens its very insulting.

------
melindajb
By all means, lets ignore the countless incredible, perhaps in some cases
average/normal looking women in tech and focus on one who happens to be also
gifted in the looks department (as decided by whom? men? women?)

By emphasizing her uniqueness, they're perpetuating the stereotype they claim
to abhor.

------
booruguru
There was very little content in that article. I've noticed this is becoming a
trend with a lot of mainstream news sites like CNN and USA Today.

------
Oculus
I've been noticing a general trend where news sites follow stories on Quora.
Not sure if it's the demographic present on Quora or something else. Lyndsey
Scott (model in the article) wrote an answer about her appearances in which
she mentioned she's a developer as well on Quora back in December.

~~~
Schwolop
I've been noticing this too. HN has a definite bias against Quora that stems
back to the early stories about its blocking content from non-members.

------
admstockdale
To all of you saying this doesn't matter and who gives a shit -- get real.
There's this deep-seated elitism to programming that is really damaging to all
types of backgrounds. The barrier for entry is high enough -- it's great
there's a story about someone most wouldn't think of when thinking of a
programmer. It benefits those interested in seeing computer science grow as a
discipline to have more people in the fold.

------
punkghetto
negative stereotypes exist for both models (eg cocaine snorting anorexic
bimbos) and computer nerds (antisocial smelly boring men who refuse to grow up
while living in their mother's basement).

who cares? I get the points about the stereotypes in the article, which was
pretty shallow. though there did exist the point that people don't always
conform to stereotypes. models can be smart, nerds can be attractive.

------
sbierwagen
Yeesh.

------
Fundlab
Impressive

------
animus9
"The term 'software engineer' conjures images of pasty-faced young men with
poor posture and limited social skills."

...

"We have this idea of people in technology being and looking a certain way,"
she said. "That stereotype is destructive, and I think that's part of the
reason why female and minority programmers are so few."

...

Her personal opinions and prejudices aside, the article is a tad hypocritical.
It's hard to tell to whom the stereotype is most destructive. The media has
created and maintains the "nerd stereotype", which I would argue is more
destructive to those who are classified as such: since they have to overcome a
far more general prejudice than lack of visibility in a particular field.

CNN has a lot of nerve to use a racial slur such as 'pasty-faced'. I believe
the correct term is Caucasian.

I am all for dropping the obviously false stereotype about nerds. But let's
not paint this particular oppressed group as villains.

Do you see what I am doing here? Look for the truth my friends, and come to
your own conclusions. Do not be complacent with their lies.

~~~
smtddr
Every time...

Theory:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6441795](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6441795)

Potential examples:

    
    
      1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6885123 - Homeless coder starts app
      2. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6365495 - Africans genetically more corrupt?
      3. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6448409 - Rick Ross's history
      4. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6857739 - Nelson Mandela dies
      5. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6035263 - (Most obvious)Resume with black vs white name
      6. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6902563 - Cover up racist+sexist mindset in Harvard
      7. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6907915 - Homeless coder finishes app
      8. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6975732 - BlackGirlsCode event
      9. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7040437 - BlackGirlsCode event mentioned in list of female-focused events in tech.
    

I'm going to just keep on collecting these links and post the list on every
instance I see. This will be added as the 10th. (Though I will make special
note that this instance is probably made worse by the recent spotlight the
tech-scene is under in regards to gender inequality).

~~~
vacri
_But their arguments will become so spacious that you 'll need 5 screen-
lengths to debate with them_

I think you mean 'specious', though I guess 'spacious' also fits that
description.

~~~
smtddr
Oh wow, I didn't even know about that word! Now I wish I could edit that old
comment.

------
kimonos
Wow! I really admire people with the "beauty and brain"! Good luck!

~~~
scotty79
I'd like to see more of coders from different interesting backgrounds having
their 5 minutes in the spotlight reaffirmed as coders.

I'd like to see dancers who code, news anchormen, judges, soccer players and
boxers who code (although last two might be harder with all the micro
concussions).

------
tonylampada
Brains aside, personally I don't think she's that beautiful. I know at least 3
female programmers that I consider better looking (2 of them I have worked
with).

~~~
codygman
Are they white?

~~~
tonylampada
Yes, why?

