

Ask HN: Why are HN topics about sexism so controversial? - dataker


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dragonwriter
Because substantial segments of the community hold deeply-held, diametrically-
opposed views on the issue and do so as a matter deeply attached to their
personal identity and person image of merit.

For better known examples of this in general (US) cultural, consider debates
on guns or abortion policy.

(If you want to know why they get flagged off heavily, _part_ of it is that --
since there is a large group that will be offended by any item on the subject,
though a different group for different items -- and partly the reaction of the
rest of the community to the usual dynamics of the issue where they just want
it to go away.)

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mathgeek
Personally I find that HN is a nice place to get away from the non-technical
side discussions that take up so much space on Reddit, Google Plus, etc.
Discussions about sexism fall into that category for a technical site
(elsewhere they would certainly not be side discussions).

While they're important, I have other places where I know that non-technical
discussions will include those topics (and they often do on a daily or weekly
basis). In the end, a site about technical and technology news should avoid
controversial topics, much like a political site should avoid technical
topics.

Just my $0.02.

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brudgers
The term "sexism" is inherently political. The political factions on either
side of the divisions for which it proxies have well stocked and battle tested
arsenals and fervent internet hoards with their itchy trigger finger already
on the keyboard.

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tannk11001
If the HN community is a reflection of anything in the real world, it's
because people are sensitive to personal critiques and sometimes react by
immediately assuming an intensely self-defensive posture, even if they reflect
more thoughtfully on the critique later on.

Not everybody does that, and few people do that all the time, but it doesn't
take all that many people for it to lead to some heated discussions and wild
swings in up/down votes.

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slvv
Thanks to the OP for asking; I hope there will be a real conversation about
this. I've been noticing that often posts about sexism or feminism start to
get some traction and then inexplicably disappear or are nuked, and it's super
frustrating. How can we have discussion if posts that might encourage it just
disappear?

~~~
dragonwriter
The posts disappear quickly because, by and large, the community here _doesn
't want_ to have a discussion on that topic. (And when it does, its very often
not a _productive_ discussion. Too many sacred cows, on all sides of the
issue.)

~~~
slvv
Understood, and I agree that often there isn't very much productive happening
by the end. Hopefully that will eventually change.

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orionblastar
Certain topics are taboo like Gamergate or Sexisim in STEM.

They lead to flamewars and bring in trolls.

Sure we all want equal pay for equal work and more diversity in STEM, but
these sexist issues just bring in the SJW trolls and then the topic goes from
bad to worse.

It is something that shouldn't be discussed on Hacker News, because it is more
political than technical.

