
Uber is not the only tech company that mishandles sexual harassment claims - JumpCrisscross
https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/20/uber-is-not-the-only-tech-company-that-mishandles-sexual-harassment-claims/
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rezashirazian
But they seem to be the only one with a former female engineer who can write
well and is willing to do so.

One of the less obvious lessons from this is the power of good writing. I know
Susan Fowler's story is compelling on its own, but I believe her ability to
write about it so well resulted in the backlash Uber is facing today.

Her blog post is engaging, to the point and her narration sets the right tone
and hits the right emotional chords.

This is the perfect example of "the pen is mightier than the sword."

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hkmurakami
We probably wouldn't even be thinking twice about it if this behavior was
going on in Wall Street (not saying that's a good thing, but we sort of give
that industry a pass since "that's how things are there")

But SV has cultivated a bubbly and "doing good in the world" image for itself.
That comes with advantages and goodwill, but it also raises the moral bar for
the industry.

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skybrian
Raising the moral bar: seems like that's also an advantage? (If we manage to
do so.)

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xt00
I don't get the lame excuse that somebody who is a manager has some high
technical breadth or is a high performer. From working in Silicon Valley I
can't recall thinking that some random manager would be irreplaceable. Verify
the claim then fire the idiot. Sexual harassment is not hard to stamp out
after making a few examples of people at a company.

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crabasa
"If sexual harassment is this entrenched, what is the answer?"

Well, one answer is to create stronger federal legislation that criminalizes
this kind of behavior and protects plaintiffs. The ruling in the Ellen Pao
case exposed the weakness of current law and judicial precedent.

Until plaintiffs feel secure in bringing charges and until companies feel true
fear (legal and financial costs) in getting caught, I doubt much will change.

~~~
iak8god
> Well, one answer is to create stronger federal legislation ...

That is one answer, but it's not a very encouraging or empowering one. The
people currently in charge of the US federal government seem less likely than
the average government to implement this sort of change. But leaving aside our
harasser-in-Chief and his party's firm grip on the legislative branch,
_federal legislation_ isn't something most people feel they can do much about
anyway.

What I'd like to know is: what can I as a man in the tech industry do about
this -- aside from not harassing people, which seems like a bare minimum.

~~~
schlowmo
> "what can I as a man in the tech industry do about this -- aside from not
> harassing people, which seems like a bare minimum."

Those may be obvious basics, but starting at ones own (work) environment seems
like a good idea:

Deliberate about the own behaviour and thinking. Acknowledge the existence of
sexism. Speak out against sexist behaviour (starting with things like sexist
jokes), even if it costs you your manhood in front of your (sexist) male co-
workers. Don't think that it's only the job of your female co-workers to point
out sexism and harassment.[0] Keep in mind that you can always decide just to
go back to business and try to ignore the sexism around you - your female co-
workers can not so easy.[1]

Oh, and when I look through the comments below the article at TC one more
thing: Don't play the white knight or expect a medal for not being sexist -
not being sexist should be a matter of course.

[0] Like "My female coworkers never complaint, so I thougt it's okay to just
ignore or even enjoy sexist jokes and other innuendos."

[1] Disclaimer: Since I'm part of the rethorical "you" I have to admit that I
caught my self just choosing the "easy way" more often than I wished.

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JonRB
I really wish this was a headline that surprised me.

I've always felt like I work at a company that would handle this well, but I
don't particularly want to find out.

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jimmywanger
This article makes many sweeping generalizations and references unattributed
sources and people.

This is barely journalism - anybody can make unfounded accusations, but to
indict an entire sector of industry based on 2 past incidents and one current
pending unsubstantiated one is ridiculous.

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skybrian
Journalists do often report on what they learned from anonymous sources. No,
it's not transparent, intentionally so. When that happens, you need to decide
whether you trust the journalist to vet their sources.

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jimmywanger
Indeed.

From her profile:

> Megan Rose Dickey is a reporter at TechCrunch focused on diversity,
> inclusion and social justice.

One of her latest articles:

> Dear White People, You Suck At Diversity

Most of her articles come with a huge SJW slant. The second title is directly
racist. Also, it's odd that her article comes out the day after the Uber
allegations.

Her use of anonymous sources and clearly biased views predisposes me to
discount her vetting, especially with her profile and background.

